In fact, most of these recently detained Montagnards have either refugee or asylum status, along with others in the process of applying for one.
The latest arrest came as a shock especially to the local NGOs working on refugee issues, “since UNHCR and Thai immigration appeared to have set an agreement in place since January to not arrest anyone registered with UNHCR,” a source familiar with the matter informed ICC.
He added, “This [arrangement] is potentially even more devastating since Thailand has usually allowed children to stay with their parents.” From an advocacy perspective, it is also disheartening because the NGOs “have seen significant progress in the past 12 months, with bail being open, fewer arrests, and government moving towards their own screening mechanism, but this is a major, major setback and a scale of arrest we have not seen in years.”
They hope that this was merely a result of inter-governmental miscommunication, not something that the government will continue to implement down the road.
Grace Bui, the Thailand Program Director at the Montagnard Assistance Project also shared her concerns with ICC, “For the Montagnards who weren’t arrested, they are living in fear every day. They all got kicked out from their apartments by the landlords because the police came to harass the landlords.” She continued to highlight the biggest challenge for her right now, which is “finding housing for them. We also need to find money so they can put down deposits and first [month’s] rent. It is not easy because most of the landlords in the areas are afraid and don’t want to rent to the Montagnards. Many of them are hiding in the park or temples.”
Human rights groups have called on the Thai government to release these detainees, yet nothing has been done. Bui is determined to free them with a petition calling on Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to grant them freedom immediately. Click here to voice your support for their release and continue to lift these Montagnard refugees up in prayer.
For interviews with Gina Goh, Regional Manager, please contact Olivia Miller, Communications Coordinator: [email protected]