Thailand urged to halt Karen deportations

Myanmar Commander-in-Chief Ye Win Oo holds talks with Thailand’s Defence Minister Adul Boonthamcharoen at the Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand, on Aug. 19. (Credit: Thai Ministry of Defence)

Human Rights Watch has called on Thai authorities to stop the imminent deportation of 26 ethnic Karen villagers to Myanmar, warning that they face grave danger if returned.

The group was detained following a raid on 10 August in Ban Pa Deng village, inside Phetchaburi province’s Kaeng Krachan National Park. Officials arrested 28 people, including children and pregnant women, citing a lack of citizenship documents. Two were later released, but the remaining 26 were transferred to Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre for prosecution and deportation.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said deporting the villagers would expose them to “grave danger” given Myanmar’s ongoing civil war. Since the 2021 coup, the military junta has been accused of mass killings, torture and unlawful attacks, with more than two million people displaced and over 100,000 fleeing abroad.

Rights groups argue that deportation would breach Thailand’s obligations under international law, including the UN Convention against Torture and the principle of non‑refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they risk persecution or ill‑treatment. Thailand’s own Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act also bars deportations where torture is a substantial risk.

The Karen have lived across Thailand and Myanmar for generations, often in forested areas such as Kaeng Krachan. While many hold coloured identification cards recognising them as a hilltribe group, others lack legal status. UNESCO’s decision in 2021 to list the Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex as a World Heritage site led Thai authorities to ban human settlement there, despite warnings from UN experts and Indigenous groups about ancestral land rights.

Human Rights Watch notes that Karen villagers have faced decades of pressure to leave the park, including raids, forced relocations and destruction of property. In 2014, Karen activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen disappeared after being detained by park officials; his case remains emblematic of the risks faced by the community.

The timing of the deportation threat coincides with a high‑level military meeting in Bangkok between Myanmar’s new commander‑in‑chief Ye Win Oo and his Thai counterpart Ukrit Boontanon. Critics say Thailand’s government is failing to uphold basic human rights standards as it deepens ties with Myanmar’s regime.

Human Rights Watch has urged Bangkok to end what it calls abusive treatment of Karen villagers and to respect their fundamental rights. With the UN Human Rights Council set to review Thailand’s record in November, international pressure is expected to mount.

-2026-08-20