Another crackdown at Sukhswat Soi 66, Praphadeang, Thailand has left beleaguered asylum seekers terrified of their future.
45 Pakistani Christians were arrested during the early hours of 10th December 2016 at 7am in Thailand (1 am GMT). All the asylum seekers had
live asylum claims with the UNHCR and held ID cards proving their registration. However, the ID cards though shown were simply taken form the forlorn
asylum seekers who were then told to sit on the floor and many of them cuffed outside their homes.
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Police officers and immigration officers collaborated to entrap the victims at such an early hour to maximise the yield of arrests, showing no leniency
towards mothers with young children, elderly or those with a serious medical condition despite numerous appeals, including remonstration from many
local Thai people.
The insidious operation was filmed by a live TV crew who had accompanied the crackdown team in what has been described as an attempt to alienate Thai
people against asylum seekers, and to generate fear amongst those seeking refuge in their country.
Maqsod Iqbal an asylum seeker who slipped the brutal crackdown force spoke to the BPCA, he said:
my sinful eyes. Within those 45 people are 23 Children, 13 Women and 9 men some of them are of old age. It was unbearable for me to see the people
crying out for help. As you already know Christmas month has just begun and we are targeted like this after coming here, trying to escape persecution
in Pakistan. Now if the fine (court fees) are not be paid the entire group of asylum seekers will be thrown into criminal jails. So as a brother I
ask you to help them in this time of need. May God bless you.”
Thailand has not signed the 1951 convention for asylum nor the 1967 protocol. The country’s stance on asylum seekers and refugees is notably brutal and
inflexible. International attention was brought to their draconian methods of tackling the growing number of Pakistani Christians seeking safety in Bangkok,
after the BPCA acted as fixers for a BBC documentary on their plight. The televised programme can still be watched by clicking (here).
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said:
“This latest crackdown is a poor indictment on the Government of Thailand and illustrates a flawed perception of the many international conventions they are signatory too, such as conventions against torture, and conventions that protect vulnerable children and mothers and of course the UN Convention for Human Rights that encapsulates all mentioned before and in addition protection for asylum seekers and access to medical care.
“The detainment of UNHCR registered asylum seekers preventing them the opportunity to see out their application process is deplorable. Sadly the same short shrift is also given to many applicants with refugee determination status, who simply need an allocated resettlement. Such a hardline approach deserves global condemnation.
“Fear inducement through the filming of the arrests of asylum seekers is a new low via the Royal Thai Government. Already traumatised Pakistani Christians are now exhibiting extremely low levels of morale. The persecution they tried to escape has returned in a nation that is not willing to extend a hand of friendship.”
Most of these victims will now spend time in the notoriously brutal Immigration Detention Centres across Bangkok. Centres in which overcrowded rooms mean
detainees are already having to sleep in a crouching position, by laying over each other or in extreme cases standing up. Many detainees have set-up sleep
rotas to ensure they can between them get access to some quality sleep time. Sadly with the Royal Thai Government determined to increase the number of
detainees through these unnecessary crackdowns, time management for sleep shifts will be even harder to co-ordinate.
IDC hygiene is known to be a reason for the prolific spread of infections and disease within them, and provision of malnourishing food, lack of access
to good quality healthcare and violence creates a very demoralising atmosphere. Despite the harsh treatment they receive few Pakistani Christians choose
to return home, accepting indefinite incarceration rather then the threat of death in their homeland. The result of this is many victims who have
now been ‘jailed’ for in excess of a year, for nothing more then seeking freedom from intolerance and hatred.
Our officers have met with all of today’s arrested ‘visa overstayers’ who all hold live UNHCR asylum seekers cards we remind you. They have all requested
payment of their court fines which will vary in cost depending on how long since they spent their tourism visa. Estimated costs for each person will be
in the region of £60-£80. Failure to pay the fine will result in an even more brutal incarceration within Bangkok’s infamous Central Jail. Here asylum
seekers will be detained with rapists, murders and other hardened criminals. Moreover they will face being stripped naked, shackled often and a whole host
of other demeaning factors. British Pakistani Christian Association would like to prevent victims from the trauma associated with imprisonment in
this jail. If you would like to donate towards payment of these court fines please (click here).
Please sign our petition (click here)
Below is footage from the Thai News report on the arrests: