My shock at rough treatment of refugees on Thai holiday beach, As tourists frolicked, detainees were forced to lie face down at gunpoint, South China Morning Post

It was only on Monday that Thailand’s Andaman coast was basking in the glory of being crowned Luxury Destination of the Year by The New York Times’ travel section.

But it is publicity of a far different kind that now threatens to overshadow what was proclaimed to be the rebirth of the region’s tourism industry in the wake of the 2004 tsunami. Startling images captured by Hong Kong-based tourist Andrew Jones three weeks ago revealed a side of the glittering coast that many would prefer not to be seen.

Mr Jones, whose name has been changed for the purposes of this article, said he was stunned to watch as Thai navy guards beat scores of Rohingya refugees, who hail from the border of Myanmar and Bangladesh, on a busy tourist beach in the Similan Islands.

Scrolling through the photographs taken by Mr Jones is a jarring experience. One moment the photographs show a happy group of holidaymakers enjoying their Christmas vacation; next come images of refugees splayed out in the sand as guards carrying automatic rifles stand guard over them. The refugees lie face down, their wrists tied. “We found it difficult to believe what we were seeing,” Mr Jones said.

The following is Mr Jones’ account of what unfolded on December 23. His version of events has been corroborated by two other witnesses.

“The group of us were picked up in the morning by the snorkelling company. We were taken back to the [company’s] shop, which is close to a navy base, debriefed about the day, and were then taken to the boat we were snorkelling from.

“We were taken to the first site, kind of a fringing reef or atoll, and while we were snorkelling I saw [a boat that looked like the one later seen with the refugees]. I noticed it because it was definitely out of place among the new speedboats and yachts. And we were in a national park that didn’t allow fishing.

“We then had lunch on the main island where you can camp and such. We lazed around on the beach …

“We were then transported to another island cove where we did some more snorkelling, then we were taken to another island close by, called Similan 8.

“We motored into [Donald Duck Bay] and saw this strange sight, which we later found out to be the refugees.

“We had never seen anything like it before in our entire lives – at first we thought it was a bunch of logs, or seals. Then, maybe, a protest, or illegal fishermen. Other people on the boat thought it was some sort of photo shoot or art display.

“[At this stage] we definitely didn’t think it was refugees – [thinking that] if it was, the Thai navy would probably not have let us into the cove. Maybe [it was] an error of judgment by the Thai officers, who seemed a bit disorganised.

“We arrived on the beach, where people were sunbaking and snorkelling … We all felt really bad, because here we were, sunbaking and snorkelling and having a great holiday, and these people were bound on the beach in the open sun, obviously in a bad condition.

“Some of them were trying to sit up and looked like they were complaining, but they were answered with a whip on the back and head. One of them was dragged to the shade – not looking like he was in good shape – where he lay for the rest of our time there. This had an effect on the others, who complained, but they were then hit with the whip.

“The Thai officers were giving them water and taking them into the sea to go to the toilet.

“While all this was happening, in the shade a few Thai officers and maybe a representative of the refugees were talking at a table.

“The Thai officers then boarded and searched the [refugees’] boat. They grabbed all the stuff and laid it out on the sand.

“We then boarded our own boat and headed back to the mainland.

“While there had been lots of tourists around, any time that someone brought out a camera [the guards] would approach the tourist and yell `no, no’, and motion for them to bring the camera to them. If they didn’t bring it, the Thais would go over to them and forcefully take the camera and delete the pictures.

“We were not allowed too close to the refugees, but we were allowed to sit just up behind on the beach and that’s where I watched this all unfold. I talked with one of the yachtsmen, who had been there since 10am and had been watching it for a while – it was now 3pm. When we were leaving [the yachtsman and companions] decided to stay – when they were obvious about watching the events, the Thai guards would not beat the men so hard with the whip.

“They congratulated me on getting the photos and told me `someone definitely has to know what was happening out here today’.”

As told to Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian on Phuket