Asylum seekers imprisoned
The Asian Human Rights Commission reports that it “has obtained information that immigration authorities have taken into custody at least 85 persons from Pakistan who are seeking asylum. The group includes babies, small children, pregnant women, and the sick and elderly. The persons have registered with the United Nations for asylum and so far 17 have reportedly been officially recognized as refugees. No reason has been given for their detention; however, it comes at a time that authorities in Thailand are reportedly targeting asylum seekers for forced repatriation, especially to countries in South Asia.”
The Abhisit Vejjajiva government has a horrid track record on dealing with refugees, and PPT has posted on this several times (e.g. here and here).
There are more details at the AHRC site. AHRC suggests writing to several authorities “to call for the immediate release of these persons from custody and the respect of their right to seek asylum in Thailand and complete the process that they have begun with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.” This writing can be completed at the AHRC site.
Comments are closed.