Thailand Criticised for 'Forcibly' Deporting Cambodian Activists

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Picture courtesy: Wikipedia

 

Thailand faces international criticism after forcibly deporting six Cambodian political activists, raising concerns about human rights obligations and refugee protections.

 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) reports that the deportation includes five Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) supporters who held UN refugee status and a sixth awaiting determination, along with a child who was later released to family.

 

The activists, among them Pen Chan Sangkream and Hong An, were detained by Thai immigration in Pathum Thani on the grounds of illegal residency. This forcible deportation to Cambodia occurred swiftly, drawing condemnation for what HRW describes as an abandonment of "fundamental refugee protection principles."

 

Upon their return, Cambodian authorities detained the adults under charges of "plotting," invoking Cambodia’s criminal code with penalties reaching up to 10 years of imprisonment. These accusations link to an August case concerning dissent over a pact between Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

 

Such charges, critics say, reflect Cambodia's ongoing crackdown on former CNRP members since the party's dissolution in 2017, when it fell afoul of Cambodian government animosity toward opposition activities.

 

Earlier this year, the dynamics of Thai-Cambodian political relations had already spotlighted Thailand's controversial stance.

 

Notably, it accommodated Cambodian requests to curb actions by opposition activists within its borders during Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet’s state visit.

Such actions have been seen as part of a transnational repression strategy that extends beyond Cambodia to include Thailand's engagements with Laos and Vietnam in restricting dissident activities.

 

Thailand’s actions raise significant questions under the newly effective Act on Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearances, purportedly crafted to prevent deportations where there's a likelihood of torture or inhumane treatment.

 

HRW argues that in forcibly deporting these individuals, Thailand disregards these protocols alongside international obligations to protect refugees and asylum seekers.

 

This situation also clouds Thailand’s recent triumphant securing of a UN Human Rights Council seat, starting January 2025, as the deportations starkly contradict the commitments implied in its candidacy.

 

Ultimately, these developments underline the persistent tension between political expedience and human rights obligations in Southeast Asian politics.

 

As Thailand maneuvers these diplomatically sensitive contexts, its actions scrutinised globally, questions about its commitment to international human rights standards go uneluded, reported Bangkok Post.

 

-- 2024-11-30