Thai authorities in Bangkok have arrested more than 60 Montagnard Christian migrants facing persecution in Vietnam and deported 40 Uighur ethnic minorities back to China.
According to Radio Free Asia, which cites the refugee aid organization Boat People SOS, the group consists of 68 Montagnard Christians, including men, women, children, and at least one pregnant woman, all of whom were apprehended on Sunday during a memorial gathering near the Thai capital that involved prayer and worship.
Reports indicate that most of the detainees remain in custody for allegedly staying in the country without legal documentation and could face deportation. Police have transferred the detainees to immigration authorities, and those who cannot pay court-imposed fines of $120 or bail will remain in jail.
Officials stated that legal entry requirements had not been met, leading to charges of illegal entry and residence. Some of the detained individuals are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and at least 43 possess refugee cards issued in Thailand.
Police mentioned that individuals without the funds to cover fines would face an eight-day jail term, followed by transfer to an immigration detention facility in Suan Plu, which is known for overcrowded cells where men, women, and children may remain for months or even years.
Although authorities have shown no immediate plans to return them to Vietnam, concerns regarding potential deportation in the future persist. A portion of the group attends Christian services in Thailand while seeking asylum.
According to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern, there are more than 4,000 Vietnamese refugees in Thailand, most of whom fled due to persecution and harassment related to their Christian or political beliefs, often waiting several years for a resolution from the UNHCR or other agencies.
For decades, Vietnamese dissidents and religious minorities have sought refuge in Thailand; however, the country has not ratified the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. As a result, individuals seeking asylum lack formal protection under international refugee laws, and those with refugee cards accused of violating entry and residence rules may also face prolonged detention.
On Thursday, around 40 men from the persecuted Uighur ethnic minority group in China were deported by Thai authorities after being in the country for over a decade.
Citing local sources and a member of the Thai Parliament, the watchdog group Christian Solidarity Worldwide reported that witnesses saw vehicles with covered windows transporting detainees from the Bangkok detention center.
Chinese state media CCTV confirmed that “40 Chinese illegal immigrants” had been repatriated, showing a photo that included individuals of Uighur ethnicity. The men were part of a group of about 300 Uighurs detained in March 2014 after crossing the border into Thailand in an attempt to escape persecution in China.
Reports from U.S. officials and human rights groups suggest that China has imprisoned more than 1 million people, including Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, in concentration camps in Xinjiang. Advocacy groups claim that prisoners are being indoctrinated to become secular citizens who will never oppose the ruling Communist Party.
While most of the 300 arrested in Thailand were sent to Turkey, CSW reports that 109 were deported to China. A source informed the watchdog that five Uighurs are currently held in Klong Prem Central Prison while three others remain in the Bangkok detention center.
