Earlier this week (9th March 2016) Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA) met with Thai officials at the Royal Thai Embassy in
London to discuss the situation of Pakistani Christian asylum seekers and refugees in Thailand, after the BBC aired a documentary about their plight,
a documentary for which the BPCA helped Chris Rogers by introducing him to victims and their dire plight (click here).
The BPCA has been campaigning and providing aid for Pakistani Christians in Thailand for about a year, and have raised numerous issues regarding the
Immigration Detention Camps, employment status and other issues.
An appeal by the BPCA for help to Lord Alton resulted in a visit by him to the ‘United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) and British
High Commission in Bangkok, Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the BPCA joined Lord Alton and submitted copies of our latest report “Education Human Rights
Violations and the Scandal Involving the UNHCR in Thailand,” to the UNHCR and British Embassy (click here).
A copy of the same report was also later submitted to the British Home Office after Peter Trotter a senior protection officer at the UNHCR referred
to their adherence to Britain’s own Home Office Policy Statement during discussions. BPCA and Lord Alton reminded the UNHCR of their direct responsibility
to adequately risk profile Pakistan. BPCA then submitted our report led to an immediate review of Britain’s position that states Pakistani Christians
face severe discrimination and not persecution (click here).
Lord Alton also later spearheaded evidence hearing sessions on Persecution in Pakistan through the ‘All Parliamentary Party Group on International
religious freedom of belief,’ BPCA were invited to attend and were responsible for bringing 50% of multi-faith delegates to the table. APPG
have assimilated the contributions made by participants into a report which calls for a new country guidance on Pakistan and has been sent to over
60 countries (click here).
During the meeting with Thai officials BPCA were provided with a document outlining their humanitarian efforts and the challenges they face, whilst
the BPCA left copies of their two major reports on the situation of Christians in Pakistan and related issues with the Thai officials in hope of creating
sympathy for their plight. The BPCA challenged the Thai government to find more constructive ways of helping Pakistani Christian asylum seekers and
refugees over issues such as employment and security, and also offered to help in areas where BPCA help could speed up processes and reduce costs and
time-frames in screening Christian asylum seekers from Pakistan (click here).
BPCA was heartened to hear about the expansion of the existing cramped Immigration Detention Centres (IDC) to create more space for the victims detained
inside. We are also pleased that two new centres are to be built and that Minister Phuchpop has stated that conditions inside all current centres
will be improved. We are disappointed that the Royal Thai Authorities are arresting mothers with children, blaming the detention of the children on
parental desire despite mothers having little choice then to care for their children within the brutal confines of IDC’s. The option of the child care
service in one IDC is neither ubiquitous nor always possible for already traumatised children who need the comfort only a mother can provide.
We have sought an amnesty for mothers and seriously ill victims on the basis that detainee children are suffering severe sickness due to unhygienic
conditions and several victims with treatable existing health concerns have died in IDC’s – two this year.
BPCA has offered a screening service for Pakistani Christian asylum seekers to help expedite their freedom through bail with a statutory 2 year protection
from re-arrest. We have asked the Royal Thai Authorities for a reduction in the bail fees which are extremely exorbitant and require payments by charities,
as the cost are beyond the means of the entire asylum community. A lowering of this fee will enable asylum seekers to be freed sooner by charities
struggling to raise the finance to free victims.
In their response letter the Royal Thai Authorities also stated ‘those arrested on immigration charges are placed in immigration Detention Centres pending their removal. This is a separate facility from the the prison system and is used exclusively for the detention of illegal migrant. Transfer for those who overstayed their stay permit…’
Sadly the Royal Thai Authorities seem oblivious to the fact that charities such as the BPCA have been paying court fines for asylum seekers, preventing
them being incarcerated with rapists and murderers. Men are stripped naked before sons and women before daughters. Men are also shackled with long
irons chains and the bolts that are hammered into the rings around their ankles cause wounds. Several victims have also complained about being
beaten by a rod on the back of their legs by over zealous prison wardens. We have asked the Royal Thai Government to assess whether this court
process and treatment is necessary, when the IDC system seems more then adequate.
British Pakistani Christian Association Chairman, Wilson Chowdhry said: ‘We hope that this can be the start of a mutually fruitful relationship in which we get better conditions for Pakistani Christians in Thailand, whilst we will look to help the Thai government in ways that save money and help Pakistani Christians to contribute constructively to the Thai economy and society.’
