webfact 166780 Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 Some of the 63 Chinese nationals detained by Nong Prue police, in Pattaya, on Friday, as they emerged from the police station. They were transported into the custody of the Pattaya Provincial Court holding centre after being charged with visa overstaying in the kingdom which they entered in 2022. by Joseph O' Connor A group of 63 Chinese nationals including children aligned with a Christian group known as the Mayflower Church, fled China in 2019 and entered Thailand first in 2022 having spent time on the South Korean island of Jeju where hopes of obtaining asylum faded amid alleged harassment orchestrated by the Chinese state. Deana Brown of the Tyler Texas-based Freedom Seekers International has worked with the group throughout and is in Thailand with them. She told media reporters, around the world, on Friday, that they first encountered a problem when they learned that all new Chinese visa renewals here must now be also processed through the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. 32 Chinese nationals, along with their children, who were detained in Pattaya, Thailand on Friday on overstay charges are facing conviction and deportation back to China, a country they fled from in 2019 seeking asylum from religious persecution. On Friday, as one NGO founder from Texas accompanied the group into the custody of the Pattaya Provincial Court, another, Mr Bob Fu, the founder of ChinaAid, an organisation fighting against religious persecution in China was calling on the State Department in the United States to intervene in what has the potential to become a nightmare scenario for the Thai government. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok has declined to answer international press enquiries following the detention of 63 members of a persecuted Christian church in Pattaya by local police working with the Immigration Bureau. Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/03/31/chinese-christian-asylums-seekers-arrested-pattaya-visa-overstay/ -- © Copyright Thai Examiner 2023-04-01 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information. 6 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
webfact 166780 Posted March 31 Author Share Posted March 31 Chinese Christians exiled in Thailand taken to court for overstaying visas A police official says they may not be deported to their home country. By Nontarat Phaicharoen for BenarNews Chinese Christians exiled in Thailand taken to court for overstaying visas Members of China’s Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, leave from the Nong Prue police station on their way to a court in Pattaya, Thailand, March 31, 2023. Sakchai Lalit/Associated Press A Thai court on Friday began the trial of 28 Chinese Christians charged with overstaying their visa, and who were in the country seeking protection from the United Nations refugee agency claiming religious persecution back home, police said. The Associated Press news agency reported that the Chinese were fined and released on Friday. The Chinese exiles belong to the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, also known as the Mayflower Church. One police official said the group of 63 Christians including 35 children, who had been arrested Thursday afternoon, would likely not be deported back to China. “No, there won’t be that thing. It’s not going to happen,” Col. Tawee Kutthalaeng, chief of the Nong Prue police station, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news service. “We did not charge all of them because there were children as well. They were charged with overstaying their visas, staying too long and not renewing their visas.” Full story: https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/christians-03312023142900.html -- © Copyright Radio FRee Asia 2023-04-01 - Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here. The most versatile and flexible rental investment and holiday home solution in Thailand - click for more information. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Cricky 1968 Posted March 31 Popular Post Share Posted March 31 (edited) 3 hours ago, webfact said: asylum seekers arrested by Pattaya police We're doomed. Every swinging dick wants to live in Thailand, now we will be seeing more and more asylum seekers coming here. Send them to Australia, lots of freebies there for them. Edited March 31 by Cricky 4 2 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post sammieuk1 28889 Posted March 31 Popular Post Share Posted March 31 Out of the fire into the cooking pot hub of asylum and human rights this place is not just wait for the masters to say return them and they will disappear faster than a Uyghur wearing a free Taiwan tee-shirt 🤔 5 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Salerno 7731 Posted March 31 Popular Post Share Posted March 31 3 hours ago, webfact said: One police official said the group of 63 Christians including 35 children, who had been arrested Thursday afternoon, would likely not be deported back to China. “No, there won’t be that thing. It’s not going to happen,” Col. Tawee Kutthalaeng, chief of the Nong Prue police station, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated news service. Wonder if something similar was said back in 2015 prior to: "... in defiance of pleas from the UN's refugee agency UNHCR and several governments, Thailand forcibly repatriated at least 109 Uyghur men, putting them on a plane, handcuffed and hooded, back to China." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64701784 2 2 1 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post hotchilli 51561 Posted March 31 Popular Post Share Posted March 31 3 hours ago, webfact said: She told media reporters, around the world, on Friday, that they first encountered a problem when they learned that all new Chinese visa renewals here must now be also processed through the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. That's not going to end well. 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post RichardColeman 60164 Posted March 31 Popular Post Share Posted March 31 I'd be happy to accept them in my UK and boot out the equivalent amount of mad and expensively monitored jihadi muslims ! 6 1 4 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacko45k 39341 Posted March 31 Share Posted March 31 15 minutes ago, Salerno said: Wonder if something similar was said back in 2015 prior to: "... in defiance of pleas from the UN's refugee agency UNHCR and several governments, Thailand forcibly repatriated at least 109 Uyghur men, putting them on a plane, handcuffed and hooded, back to China." https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-64701784 I was told the tale of one who had spent many years in the IDC in Bangkok and had died in there.... inhuman treatment. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salerno 7731 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 (edited) 19 minutes ago, jacko45k said: I was told the tale of one who had spent many years in the IDC in Bangkok and had died in there.... inhuman treatment. I believe that was me mentioning it in another thread. One of those forcibly returned to China as mentioned above was the dead guys brother, his wife and kids made it to Turkey. Edited April 1 by Salerno 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Hakuna Matata 268 Posted April 1 Popular Post Share Posted April 1 1 hour ago, Cricky said: We're doomed. Every swinging dick wants to live in Thailand, now we will be seeing more and more asylum seekers coming here. Send them to Australia, lots of freebies there for them. Yes, absolutely. Why don't they go to Russia? 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ignore it 821 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 (edited) "all new Chinese visa renewals here must now be also processed through the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok." That is so creepy Like how does that work? CCP checking out Taiwanese extensions? My extensions? Your renewals? Edited April 1 by ignore it CCP Embo inbed w Thai Imm? 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Salerno 7731 Posted April 1 Popular Post Share Posted April 1 5 minutes ago, ignore it said: That is so creepy That's one way of putting it. Just extending this "creepieness" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_police_overseas_service_stations 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Meeseeks 13799 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 5 hours ago, webfact said: “We did not charge all of them because there were children as well. They were charged with overstaying their visas, staying too long and not renewing their visas.” I thought as per Thai law there is a 5 or 10 year ban if you are caught on overstay? Making it up as they go along again? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricky 1968 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 2 hours ago, Hakuna Matata said: Yes, absolutely. Why don't they go to Russia? This is the problem, we also have the Russians coming to Thailand seeking asylum. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthainess 8043 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 As the Mayflower church originates from the USA then that is where they should be offered asylum IMO (but, they are a peace loving community ). a catch 22 situation. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew65 4587 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 4 hours ago, Cricky said: We're doomed. Every swinging dick wants to live in Thailand, now we will be seeing more and more asylum seekers coming here. Send them to Australia, lots of freebies there for them. Or the UK. It's much easier for Thailand (and Australia) to deport these people cos they aren't signed up to the ECHR. Their governments never signed away their sovereignty. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Purdey 1866 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 (edited) I sincerely do hope some humanitarian issue will prevent their return to the Land of Persecution. I am sure they don't mind where they go as long as it is not home. It is unfortunate their church is called the Mayflower however, as we all know how those christians from Europe dealt with the local population in the past.* *Connotations arising from the name doesn't mean they will do the same Edited April 1 by Purdey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
toofarnorth 6292 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 You would think the Old Bill would at least give them masks to wear , don't they wear masks in China? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
connda 28419 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 Interesting. Thailand just set a precedent. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad mick 727 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 5 hours ago, Cricky said: We're doomed. Every swinging dick wants to live in Thailand, now we will be seeing more and more asylum seekers coming here. Send them to Australia, lots of freebies there for them. Nothing for us born in Australia Reverse Apathied on its way back too lucky country 😅 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
foreverlomsak 2195 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 53 minutes ago, toofarnorth said: You would think the Old Bill would at least give them masks to wear , don't they wear masks in China? If they wore masks the Embassy personnel might not be able to identify them, thus making it difficult for officials to demand "they are our nationals, so return them to China" Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
khunPer 10545 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 They spent more than 2 years in South Korea – first safe country – I wonder what other nations they contacted from there to apply for asylum... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salerno 7731 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 28 minutes ago, foreverlomsak said: If they wore masks the Embassy personnel might not be able to identify them, thus making it difficult for officials to demand "they are our nationals, so return them to China" They figured that out at the start of the epidemic. How China built facial recognition for people wearing masks https://www.ft.com/content/42415608-340c-4c0a-8c93-f22cdd4cc2d6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burma Bill 7497 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 1 hour ago, toofarnorth said: You would think the Old Bill would at least give them masks to wear , don't they wear masks in China? With the greatest respect - why should they be wearing masks? I am sure most of the tourists now arriving in Thailand do not wear masks (as here in Cambodia). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
transam 57977 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 1 minute ago, Burma Bill said: With the greatest respect - why should they be wearing masks? I am sure most of the tourists now arriving in Thailand do not wear masks (as here in Cambodia). The policeman was sensible wearing one though......... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Drake 9431 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 9 hours ago, webfact said: She told media reporters, around the world, on Friday, that they first encountered a problem when they learned that all new Chinese visa renewals here must now be also processed through the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok. What? So it has gotten to the point that Thai Immigration is being overseen by the Chinese embassy. How long before Americans' extensions need Chinese approval? 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PremiumLane 6279 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 13 hours ago, Cricky said: Send them to Australia, lots of freebies there for them. making stuff up again I see 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
still kicking 2109 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 7 hours ago, transam said: The policeman was sensible wearing one though......... Why wear a mask I have not worn one in 2 years never had covid Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
still kicking 2109 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 24 minutes ago, PremiumLane said: making stuff up again I see yes typical Australian bogan. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
champers 12870 Posted April 1 Share Posted April 1 What a depressing story. With global coverage now at play, Thailand will have to do the decent thing. I hope they end up somewhere that makes them feel welcome. Canada or New Zealand would be my guess. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now