Surat Thani, Thailand (BBN)-A group of Rohingya migrants, 94 women and children, cut the power supply and tried to break open the doors and windows of the sleeping quarters at a holding centre in tambon Khun Thale in Muang district of Surat Thani province on Monday night in protest at not being allowed to rake food inside to eat, Manager Online reported.
The holding centre is located inside the compound of a southern region occupation training centre, the Sri Surat Home, of the Ministry of Social Develoment and Human Resources, reports the Bangkok Post.
After being informed of the incident, Surat Thani deputy governor Wichawut Jinto and provincial police chief Maj Gen Apichart Boonsriroj went to the centre with 50 policemen.
It took the police more than two hours to end the protest. Five Rohingya protest leaders were take for questioning.
Barbed wire was placed around the building and more lighting installed in the area.
Thirty officials were put on duty to prevent the Rohingya escaping.
The migrants protested because they were not allowed to take food inside the sleeping quarters.
They also demanded resettlement in Malaysia, not the United States.
Of the 94 Rohingya women and children confined in the holding centre, 35 are categorised as human trafficking victims and the rest illegal migrants.
They had tried to escape from the centre several times previously.