Montagnard Christians Detained in Bangkok
Thai authorities have arrested 68 Montagnard Christians, including men, women, children, and a pregnant woman, near Bangkok. The group was apprehended during a prayer and worship gathering on Sunday. According to Radio Free Asia, the arrests were carried out due to alleged immigration violations.
While some detainees possess refugee cards issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), they still face detention and possible deportation. Those unable to pay a $120 fine will remain in jail for eight days before being transferred to an overcrowded immigration detention center in Suan Plu. Concerns persist that they could eventually be sent back to Vietnam, where they face religious persecution.
Lack of Protection for Asylum Seekers in Thailand
Thailand has long been a destination for Vietnamese dissidents and religious minorities fleeing persecution. However, the country has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention, leaving asylum seekers without formal legal protections. Many remain in limbo for years while awaiting decisions from the UNHCR or other agencies.
Advocacy groups, including the U.S.-based International Christian Concern, report that more than 4,000 Vietnamese refugees currently reside in Thailand. Many fear deportation, as Thailand has previously sent asylum seekers back to countries where they face repression.
Deportation of 40 Uighurs to China Sparks Outrage
On Thursday, Thai authorities deported 40 Uighur men to China after they had spent over a decade in detention. Witnesses saw vehicles with covered windows transporting detainees from a Bangkok detention center, according to Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
Chinese state media confirmed that the men, identified as “illegal immigrants,” were repatriated. The deportees were part of a group of 300 Uighurs detained in Thailand in 2014 after fleeing persecution in China. Most were sent to Turkey, but 109 had previously been deported to China, raising fears of imprisonment or forced indoctrination.
Concerns Over Uighur Treatment in China
Human rights groups and U.S. officials report that China has detained more than 1 million Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Reports indicate that detainees are subjected to forced labor, indoctrination, and abuse.
Currently, five Uighurs remain imprisoned in Thailand’s Klong Prem Central Prison, while three others are still in a Bangkok detention center. Advocacy groups warn that deported Uighurs face severe persecution, including indefinite detention or worse, upon their return to China.
Source:
Over 60 Persecuted Christians Arrested in Bangkok; 40 Uighurs Sent Back to China
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