Two Stateless Children, Two Adults, Released From Bangkok Immigration Jail

[webfact]

Two stateless children, two adults, released from immigration jail

BANGKOK, Jan 28 – Two stateless children being held at Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centre, their mother and another adult family member were released from Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok on Friday.

The sister and brother, 13-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother, members of an indigenous ethnic group in the mountains of Vietnam, their widowed mother and another family member arrived in Thailand in 2008 seeking asylum, but were later detained in Chiang Mai for about 18 months since mid-2010.

National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) chairperson Dr Amara Pongsapich told a news briefing that the children’s freedom resulted from joint efforts and collaboration among the NHRC, the Immigration Bureau and the Thai Committee for Refugees Foundation (TCR).

It was a solution to help the stateless to get a proper treatment in accordance with human rights, she said.

The TCR hailed Thailand's move, saying "it marks Thailand’s historic development in human rights protection."

"The release represents Thailand’s restless efforts to promote and protect human rights of children in compliance with its fundamental obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which Thailand ratified on Feb, 12 1992," the TCR said.

Following the release, the girl said she was delighted and would like to further her study. She wanted to be a lawyer to secure a release of detained stateless persons. Now she would like to be granted opportunity to live with her uncle in the United States.

Her mother also said she wanted the United Nations to help facilitate her family for resettlement in any third country.

St. Andrews International School granted the two children full scholarships of Bt1 million during their entire stay in Thailand upon the release.

Veerawit Tianchainan, TCR Executive Director, said the release of the two stateless children and their family was a pilot scheme. There are about 50 other stateless persons still being detained and needed help. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-01-28

[udonguy]

good job must have been a terrifying ordeal and I hope this sets a precedent and Thailand improves its treatment of these poor people

[sparebox2]

Well done St. Andrew Int Sch. You have set a good example.

[catmac]

Well done Yinglick. These obvious non-criminals were flung in jail during Abhisit's regime, yet another example of his Government's pitiful human rights record.

[nattydread]

saw this on Al Jazeera and the farang human rights org that were involved had to stump up $5000 for their release so lets not all go thinking the authorities did this out of the goodness of their heart

[KRS1]

Sounds better than the US though where they would just get deported.

[USNret]

Sounds better than the US though where they would just get deported.

Since when was an immigrant ever deported from the U.S.?

[belg]

nice of the school... but the cost might be 1 million but the worth ? duly overpriced aimed at rich expats where the company pays all the school bills and nouveau rich thai who don't know what to do with their millions but still employing many labour at minimum cost, of course

Edited January 28, 2012 by Scott
formatting

[KRS1]

Sounds better than the US though where they would just get deported.

Since when was an immigrant ever deported from the U.S.?

You didn't here about the thousands of Mexicans that get deported every year?

Where have you been?

[[email protected]]

I want to be stateless in Thailand

[rijb]

Sounds better than the US though where they would just get deported.

Since when was an immigrant ever deported from the U.S.?

You didn't here about the thousands of Mexicans that get deported every year?

Where have you been?

The U.S. deported nearly 400,000 illegal immigrants last year. 55% of those deported were convicted criminals, the highest percentage in nearly a decade, according to figures by the Department of Homeland Security.

Don't despair. The number of illegal aliens remaining in the U.S. is still higher than the entire population of Bangkok.

I also 'hear' that these estimates are neither 'here' nor there.

[Scott]

Before this discussion continues on US immigration policy, I will make a note of clarification. If a person is stateless, they do not have a country of origin to be returned to. They are not considered a citizen of the country from which they came. Thus deportation is nearly impossible.

If a person arrives and seeks asylum, then there is a screening processes to determine if they are a genuine refugee. If so, they will not be returned since to do so is refoulement and is in violation of a number of international conventions.

Illegal migrants can be deported, but generally must go through a deportation hearing. If they are legally deported, then the possibility of returning to the US legally is very, very limited. Most illegals from Mexico, agree to being returned. If there is a petition for legal entry, voluntary return will not be used against them. If they are deported, they will not be allowed to legally obtain a visa to enter the US.

In the case of these stateless people, it is very, very likely that Vietnam would not accept them back. Since Thailand is not a signatory to the UN conventions on Refugees, they generally do not accept asylum claims.

[hellodolly]

saw this on Al Jazeera and the farang human rights org that were involved had to stump up $5000 for their release so lets not all go thinking the authorities did this out of the goodness of their heart

Yes they are all for human rights when they are pressured lets see now they have been in control for 6 months now

and the

"National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) chairperson Dr Amara Pongsapich told a news briefing that the children’s freedom resulted from joint efforts and collaboration among the NHRC, the Immigration Bureau and the Thai Committee for Refugees Foundation (TCR)."

Now we here it cost $5,000 real humanitarians almost as good as they are at flood relief.

[ralphlsasser]

Sounds better than the US though where they would just get deported.

Since when was an immigrant ever deported from the U.S.?

You didn't here about the thousands of Mexicans that get deported every year?

Where have you been?

The short answer is NO. I do hear where they are taking full advantage of the USA system though.

[KKK]

Why are they stateless? Surely being members of an indigenous ethnic group in the mountains of Vietnam would make them Vietnamese or is the Vietnamese government saying something else.

Why did they need to seek asylum? Were they being persecuted for some reason in Vietnam.

[Scott]

If the parent(s) are not citizens, then the children would not be citizens. This is a big problem in a number of countries, especially where citizenship is not granted to those born in the country.

Many tribal groups are nomadic and they have no citizenship. If Thailand were to try to deport them, there is a good chance that Vietnam would reject it saying they are not Vietnamese citizens.

When I worked in refugee services, this was not uncommon. There were asylum seekers who came from Vietnam, refused refugee status, but could not return to Vietnam because they were ethnically not Vietnamese. I remember one old man who was ethnic Chinese. Vietnam wouldn't allow him to be returned and China wouldn't take him either.

I don't know about the asylum claim, since Thailand doesn't usually entertain such claims.

[udonguy]

Personally I don't care, technically, whether they are from Vietnam, Laos or the Moon they are human beings and I am fed up with all this nationalistic crap and it should be determined where they are born and settled. This does not mean that I agree with tons of illegal immigrants invading the US or any other country BUT these poor people have a right, as humans, to some decency and not to be trafficked around like a 'commodity'. Determine, in a sane way, where they were born and that country accept responsibility - end of story.

[sparebox2]

Well done Yinglick. These obvious non-criminals were flung in jail during Abhisit's regime, yet another example of his Government's pitiful human rights record.

Mark was a decent man. He wouldn't do that, nor whould he order to use life rounds on protesters.