Rohingya refugees who spoke out over Thai shooting of boat people disappear

Five men who spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation with regards to claims of the Thai military massacring Rohingya refugees have themselves been reported missing.

The five men - all Rohingya refugees - reported members of the Thai military shot at defenceless Rohingya refugees, allegedly killing 15 people travelling in boats in the Andaman Sea coast north of Phuket.

The ABC's Zoe Daniels extensively reported on claims Rohingya people are being trafficked by the Thai Navy, and interviewed the men who disappeared. After speaking with her, the men went into hiding and were sheltered in a Thai village. According to reports from local villagers, they were last sighted yesterday evening: "they were going to the mosque to watch television about 9pm", said a local resident of the village North of Phuket. The men remain missing.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Myanmar, Tomás Ojea Quintana says now is time to address ongoing abuses against the Rohingya people, before the violence becomes entrenched. (NewsPoint)