Refugees in Thailand fear arrest after Bangkok attack

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Refugees in Thailand fear arrest after Bangkok attack

BANGKOK:-- Hundreds of asylum seekers in Thailand no longer fear for their lives, but instead worry about arrest, hunger, and the possibility that they will never be able to live freely.

The Thai government provides no laws to protect those who fled their countries and does not provide assistance to asylum seekers.

Thailand's military government is getting tougher on immigration, after August's bombing in the capital Bangkok. The two suspects arrested for the attack are foreigners.

Read more: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/refugees-thailand-151024111035600.html

[trogers]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

[zaphod reborn]

That classroom looks better than the classrooms in most rural government schools.

[LuckyNo4]

"The Thai government provides no laws to protect those who fled their countries and does not provide assistance to asylum seekers"

Hey refugees or asylum seekers or whatever you call yourselves. This is isn't England where you will be given nice handouts and property and will be protected by the laws of land as if you were a UK citizen, this is Thailand. The Thai government, police etc has zero interest in protecting or offering assistance to anyone who isn't Thai, even normal Thais only get bare bones. So you better start looking elsewhere for handouts,.

[ratcatcher]

"This is isn't England where you will be given nice handouts and property and will be protected by the laws of land as if you were a UK citizen, this is Thailand. "

I am sure the millions of senior citizens in the U.K., whose pensions and living standards are being cut into, would not agree with you.

Maybe the Thais can see the problems Europe is having with unregulated migration of so-called refugees?

[slapout]

The Thai idea of montary assistance is the flow of funds to those directing traffic ( bib) from those seeking help, not visa versa.

The term ''human'' in referring to humanterian aid has a special acceptance / meaning here vs many other countries.

Handouts in Thailand are accepted as being in the ''palm up'' position and normally does not apply to foreigners. being on receiving

end of the daisy chain.

[Time Traveller]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

I don't know how you could say something like that. Immediate borders or multiple borders has nothing to do with it.

A North Korean "refugee" discovered in China is going to get sent back to the gulags in North Korea.

Meanwhile, those Syrian and Iraqi refugees are essentially fleeing the devastation caused by western countries direct military intervention. Western nations created the current mess, they have an obligation to solve it, including accepting the refugees fleeing what is essentially war zones. Asking neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran to accept these people is selfish and stupid.

trogers, the world is not as simple as your mind is.

Edited October 25, 2015 by Time Traveller

[razer]

With radical Islamist seeping through borders across the world with intent of killing "non believers" for Allah, it is no wonder Muslim refugees suffer the consequences. The fact the Bangkok bombers chose a shrine, of all the places in that area with a lot of people, indicates this attack was also a show of disrespect to a religion. IMO.

[metisdead]

An off topic nonsense post has been removed.

[jacky54]

Aljazeera- the most biased broadcasting network in the world, you will NEVER see a report on there criticizing Saudi human rights abuses. Pro Palestinian, pro Islamist and anti just about everyone else, mainly the USA and Israel of course.

[trogers]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

I don't know how you could say something like that. Immediate borders or multiple borders has nothing to do with it.

A North Korean "refugee" discovered in China is going to get sent back to the gulags in North Korea.

Meanwhile, those Syrian and Iraqi refugees are essentially fleeing the devastation caused by western countries direct military intervention. Western nations created the current mess, they have an obligation to solve it, including accepting the refugees fleeing what is essentially war zones. Asking neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran to accept these people is selfish and stupid.

trogers, the world is not as simple as your mind is.

And they get to choose one EU country over another...desperate asylum seekers?

[khunken]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

I don't know how you could say something like that. Immediate borders or multiple borders has nothing to do with it.

A North Korean "refugee" discovered in China is going to get sent back to the gulags in North Korea.

Meanwhile, those Syrian and Iraqi refugees are essentially fleeing the devastation caused by western countries direct military intervention. Western nations created the current mess, they have an obligation to solve it, including accepting the refugees fleeing what is essentially war zones. Asking neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran to accept these people is selfish and stupid.

trogers, the world is not as simple as your mind is.

And they get to choose one EU country over another...desperate asylum seekers?

Yes, just because you hate them doesn't mean that desperate (fleeing in rickety boats across the Med for example) asylum seekers cannot choose a country that would accept them rather than one that won't.

Time Traveller is spot on.

[LuckyNo4]

"This is isn't England where you will be given nice handouts and property and will be protected by the laws of land as if you were a UK citizen, this is Thailand. "

I am sure the millions of senior citizens in the U.K., whose pensions and living standards are being cut into, would not agree with you.

Maybe the Thais can see the problems Europe is having with unregulated migration of so-called refugees?

Don't get me wrong ratcatcher i dont agree with it either, my statement is a piss take of our system at home, but it is a fact immigrants refugees and asylum seekers get looked after in the UK better in many cases than our own people. My point is for these stop looking for help and handouts here.

[tomross46]

Thousands of asylum seekers have been assisted by Thailand. After the completion of the war in South East Asia thousands of Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laos fred their countries. Withe the work of the US State department, USAID many of these prople were relocated to the USA. Also some of these prople were relocated to France.The worse abused were the Ethnic hill tribes that assisted the French and the USA. these people were hunted down and killed, through French Indo-China. People like Mr. Mac Thompson helped these people relocate.

[trogers]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

I don't know how you could say something like that. Immediate borders or multiple borders has nothing to do with it.

A North Korean "refugee" discovered in China is going to get sent back to the gulags in North Korea.

Meanwhile, those Syrian and Iraqi refugees are essentially fleeing the devastation caused by western countries direct military intervention. Western nations created the current mess, they have an obligation to solve it, including accepting the refugees fleeing what is essentially war zones. Asking neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran to accept these people is selfish and stupid.

trogers, the world is not as simple as your mind is.

And they get to choose one EU country over another...desperate asylum seekers?

Yes, just because you hate them doesn't mean that desperate (fleeing in rickety boats across the Med for example) asylum seekers cannot choose a country that would accept them rather than one that won't.

Time Traveller is spot on.

Reminds me of the cheering for the guy who crawled on the desert sand and found water but then pour it away onto the sand because it is not Perrier water...

[Monkeyrobot]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

I don't know how you could say something like that. Immediate borders or multiple borders has nothing to do with it.

A North Korean "refugee" discovered in China is going to get sent back to the gulags in North Korea.

Meanwhile, those Syrian and Iraqi refugees are essentially fleeing the devastation caused by western countries direct military intervention. Western nations created the current mess, they have an obligation to solve it, including accepting the refugees fleeing what is essentially war zones. Asking neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran to accept these people is selfish and stupid.

trogers, the world is not as simple as your mind is.

They are cue jumpers as most countries except refugees but these economic cue jumpers want to jump infront of real refugees to there preferred country of choice, example Germany. Also you might want to brush up on you facts about Syria.The devistation there was caused by the regime not the west. Most of these cue jumpers seam to be young men ,why are they not back in there own country defending it? Oh that's right lets go to Germany and get the west to fight our wars. Most off them are Sunni why does not Saudai take them ? Because there trouble makers & will start there sxxx there. Why would Iran except them there <deleted>. Get you facts right before you tell other members they have a simple mind.

[Yann55]

Thousands of asylum seekers have been assisted by Thailand. After the completion of the war in South East Asia thousands of Vietnamese, Cambodians and Laos fred their countries. Withe the work of the US State department, USAID many of these prople were relocated to the USA. Also some of these prople were relocated to France.The worse abused were the Ethnic hill tribes that assisted the French and the USA. these people were hunted down and killed, through French Indo-China. People like Mr. Mac Thompson helped these people relocate.

You are right to point out that Thailand was part of the relief plan for Cambodians during the Khmer Rouge period and Laotians who fled the Communist regime. I don't know about the Vietnamese (but it only means I don't know, not that Thailand did nothing for them). Having worked for years in Europe with many Laotians and Cambodians I heard a lot of first-hand accounts of the camps that were set up in Thailand and how things 'worked' in those camps. Large sums of money were sent to Thailand by Western governments and NGOs around the world to help Laotian refugees who swam across the Mekhong river and Cambodians who managed to escape mostly through Batambang province by running through the jungle. Both escape routes were extremely hasardous and left many many dead.

Once they arrived in Thailand, they quickly ended up in the camps, and it was not exactly a holiday camp, believe you me ... Some of the stories I heard are horrific, and it must be said that Thais did not gain a wonderful reputation among the refugees

Of course there were some good people who acted in a normal and humane way, but a lot of Laotian refugees, for example, got robbed by Thai fishermen who picked them up on the Thai side of the Mekhong, knowing full well that they had to be carrying valuables. After being robbed, they were lucky if they were left alive. When they were not killed, it was mostly because the robberies went unpunished anyway, as the refugees had no one to complain to.

In the camp, the Thais in charge organized all kinds of black market activities, and refugees paid outrageous prices because they had no choice (not allowed out of the camp). Those who could not pay in cash resorted to selling their bodies if the seller liked them ... etc ... etc ...

As for the money sent by the West to help the refugees, guess what, most of it got stolen en route, one way or another.

The only positive thing was that there was a fair number of non-Thais working in the camps. Mostly Western but also some Indians, I was told. They were given 'quotas' by some Western governments (mostly The US and the French, as far as I know), and their job was to help the refugees fill the forms, learn the language, etc. before starting their new life in Europe or the US.

These workers (I've also met quite a few) were appalled, mostly, by what they saw in the camps and especially by the way most Thais (not all, of course) preyed on the refugees, with no feeling of empathy whatsoever and utter contempt for these 'neighbors' in difficulty. But they kept their mouth shut, because they knew that reporting anything would end up hurting the refugees more.

I'm sorry to say all this, but it's the truth. I would much prefer to say that Thais were wonderful, helpful, generous, selfless ... Again, some of them were, but the majority were not. Also, Thailand had to set up those camps because they didn't have much of a choice : the refugees who survived kept arriving and the West put pressure on the Thai government back then. Pressure and quite a lot of money, of course ...

[Nick167]

Muslim refugees can go to muslim countries....they are not welcome here as they only cause problems or end up indulging in terrorists activities. Nobody ask them to come here. Go to the richer middle east countries where your own fellow muslims will treat you like slaves.This is stupid biase reporting by a muslim-owned news agency. Firt tell the world why Islam practices violence and terrorism everywhere. Tha Thai government should eradicate all these muslim refugees once and for all.

[dcpo]

Amazing how whenever the subject of immigration comes up a load of people who've never previously expressed any charitable sentiment become really concerned about the plight of seniors, veterans, the poor etc. in their home countries.

[dcpo]

Muslim refugees can go to muslim countries....they are not welcome here as they only cause problems or end up indulging in terrorists activities. Nobody ask them to come here. Go to the richer middle east countries where your own fellow muslims will treat you like slaves.This is stupid biase reporting by a muslim-owned news agency. Firt tell the world why Islam practices violence and terrorism everywhere. Tha Thai government should eradicate all these muslim refugees once and for all.

The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, and they are welcome in my country as far as I'm concerned. People like you sicken me. You think you are opposing fundamentalism, but you are driven by the same hatred and ignorance as IS, Al Qaeda etc.

[jacky54]

Muslim refugees can go to muslim countries....they are not welcome here as they only cause problems or end up indulging in terrorists activities. Nobody ask them to come here. Go to the richer middle east countries where your own fellow muslims will treat you like slaves.This is stupid biase reporting by a muslim-owned news agency. Firt tell the world why Islam practices violence and terrorism everywhere. Tha Thai government should eradicate all these muslim refugees once and for all.

The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, and they are welcome in my country as far as I'm concerned. People like you sicken me. You think you are opposing fundamentalism, but you are driven by the same hatred and ignorance as IS, Al Qaeda etc.

No but the vast majority of terrorists are Muslim, and many of those that are not want sharia law and non integration where they want to settle. Not wanting people who do not like us and our way of life, or any except their ideology is not 'hate' but common sense.

Edited October 25, 2015 by jacky54

[Doc46]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

They are Space Invaders,,,,They invade a space where they are not suppose to be,,,Send the fookers back to where they come from.

[Tchooptip]

Aljazeera- the most biased broadcasting network in the world, you will NEVER see a report on there criticizing Saudi human rights abuses. Pro Palestinian, pro Islamist and anti just about everyone else, mainly the USA and Israel of course.

The like button being not enough:

[jonclark]

Muslim refugees can go to muslim countries....they are not welcome here as they only cause problems or end up indulging in terrorists activities. Nobody ask them to come here. Go to the richer middle east countries where your own fellow muslims will treat you like slaves.This is stupid biase reporting by a muslim-owned news agency. Firt tell the world why Islam practices violence and terrorism everywhere. Tha Thai government should eradicate all these muslim refugees once and for all.

The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, and they are welcome in my country as far as I'm concerned. People like you sicken me. You think you are opposing fundamentalism, but you are driven by the same hatred and ignorance as IS, Al Qaeda etc.

No but the vast majority of terrorists are Muslim, and many of those that are not want sharia law and non integration where they want to settle. Not wanting people who do not like us and our way of life, or any except their ideology is not 'hate' but common sense.

The vast majority of terrorists are Muslim, but the vast, vast majority of Muslims aren't terrorists. Just for perspective.

[Tchooptip]

Muslim refugees can go to muslim countries....they are not welcome here as they only cause problems or end up indulging in terrorists activities. Nobody ask them to come here. Go to the richer middle east countries where your own fellow muslims will treat you like slaves.This is stupid biase reporting by a muslim-owned news agency. Firt tell the world why Islam practices violence and terrorism everywhere. Tha Thai government should eradicate all these muslim refugees once and for all.

The vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, and they are welcome in my country as far as I'm concerned. People like you sicken me. You think you are opposing fundamentalism, but you are driven by the same hatred and ignorance as IS, Al Qaeda etc.

What is YOUR country? The vast majority of Muslims if not terrorists (I agree) are trouble makers, so welcomed in your country by you, OK, but by the majority or your fellow citizen allow me to doubt it.

[howbri]

"The Thai government provides no laws to protect those who fled their countries and does not provide assistance to asylum seekers"

Hey refugees or asylum seekers or whatever you call yourselves. This is isn't England where you will be given nice handouts and property and will be protected by the laws of land as if you were a UK citizen, this is Thailand. The Thai government, police etc has zero interest in protecting or offering assistance to anyone who isn't Thai, even normal Thais only get bare bones. So you better start looking elsewhere for handouts,.

Many asylum seekers are simply trying to escape the persecution in their own country, hope to be relocated through the UN, especially the Christians from Pakistan which is the worst for persecution against Christians.

[Time Traveller]

When they cross an immediate border, they can be called refugees.

When they cross multiple national borders, they are called illegal economic migrants.

I don't know how you could say something like that. Immediate borders or multiple borders has nothing to do with it.

A North Korean "refugee" discovered in China is going to get sent back to the gulags in North Korea.

Meanwhile, those Syrian and Iraqi refugees are essentially fleeing the devastation caused by western countries direct military intervention. Western nations created the current mess, they have an obligation to solve it, including accepting the refugees fleeing what is essentially war zones. Asking neighboring countries like Turkey or Iran to accept these people is selfish and stupid.

trogers, the world is not as simple as your mind is.

They are cue jumpers as most countries except refugees but these economic cue jumpers want to jump infront of real refugees to there preferred country of choice, example Germany. Also you might want to brush up on you facts about Syria.The devistation there was caused by the regime not the west. Most of these cue jumpers seam to be young men ,why are they not back in there own country defending it? Oh that's right lets go to Germany and get the west to fight our wars. Most off them are Sunni why does not Saudai take them ? Because there trouble makers & will start there sxxx there. Why would Iran except them there <deleted>. Get you facts right before you tell other members they have a simple mind.

Sure Facts. Here's some

Assad was the Syrian leader since 2000. There was no civil problems at all in Syria until the Arab Spring uprising during 2012......guess what the common factor in the uprisings across the region were ? They all occurred in countries without US aligned leaders and they all had rebels and opposition groups backed and financed by the CIA.