British Asian Christian Association, is continuing to provide monthly food packages to detainees at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Centre IDC. Our food is shared between the Christian community and the non-Christians in their midst.
During his delivery of the food packages our officer John prays with the Christians he meets and shares news and messages between detainees and the external community. This ensures families and friends can keep in touch with one another to some extent, while also helping them to plan their future together despite the issues of separation.
With each food package John includes a written biblical scripture for the encouragement of those inside the IDC.
John is an established officer for BACA and makes decisions about what direction we take in country. Though any decisions have to be ratified by Trustees, John is the one who administers the aid, investigates whether those seeking aid are already receiving aid or have access to other sources and ensures that we operate as efficiently as possible. Trustee ratification ensures that accountability and transparency is in place without interfering in John’s knowledge and experience. We were blessed with the services of a previous officer for the two years preceding John’s promotion into the role.
BACA has reduced our work in Thailand after a series of raids reduced our school attendances to below a level that was viable, however we now prioritise aid to woman with husbands detained in the IDC and providing food for detainees – often partnering with groups like Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) and others. We are also almost always the first to help with court fees required to prevent asylum seekers being imprisoned in the notoriously brutal Bangkok Central Jail and have been involved in extricating detainees from the IDC by paying bail fees. However, over the last year due to extremely prohibitive bail for detainees there is seldom call for bail applications.
John is doing remarkable work under the extreme stress of being an asylum seeker himself and we ask that you pray for him, as he continues to put himself at risk for others.
If you would like to support the work of BACA through a donation, please click (here)
