The Christians held in Thailand after fleeing Pakistan
By Chris Rogers
BBC News, Thailand

BANGKOK: -- A BBC investigation has found that Thailand, a country known for its hospitality to tourists, routinely arrests and detains asylum seekers. Many are Pakistani Christians who have fled religious persecution in their own country. Some are children. And they are held despite being UN-registered asylum seekers, whom the UN is under a duty to protect.

The sound of the faithful in prayer and song bursts out of a small rented room where a congregation of more than 100 people have gathered for Sunday mass.

They would be risking their lives to worship like this in their homeland, where Islamist extremists force Christians to convert, or even kill them.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-35654804


-- BBC 2016-02-26

This should get interesting.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire , comes to mind.

regards Worgeordie

"The Christians held in Thailand"

Worst band ever out of Liverpool.

Should have been held long before now

I thought Pakistani Christians have been routinely taken by US and EU as asylum seekers of minorities and settle in US.

India is taking Hindu minorities from Pakistan for the same reason. Most of the time they to India for false reasons and they never return to Pakistan.

If religious harmony is failing in countries, world is getting dived for sure.

It wouldn't surprise me if this Government started deporting these poor unfortunates back to Pakistan. They (the Govt.) appear to have no compassion whatsoever. Surely this goes against Buddhist principles. I've met some of these people, they are genuine refugees, not economic migrants. They genuinely feared for their lives in the Islamic hell-hole that they had this misfortune to be born in.

Thailand I'm sure looks at Europe, and sees the mess there.

Pakistani Christians would be obliged to depart their home country to apply for asylum offshore. Hindu nationalists in India discriminate against Christians, Sri Lanka now refuses Pakistanis' visas, therefore making Thailand a relatively low cost destination whilst awaiting resettlement by UNHCR, though from the OP Pakistani Christians are getting very poor treatment by Thai authorities.

Religion again, nothing learnt from sun gods sea gods, bible god , koran god, your beliefs should not define you in any way and the right of your belief should be your right as a human,

If you as a mother ,farther were persecuted ,you too would look for HELP and move where you thought some safety and compassion would be shown, The government needs to Help in a way that is dignified , i understand they may not want them resettled here, working with the agencies to resettle will take time, jailing and separating families for non visa compliance is a cop out. I am ashamed at the lack of common sense shown here.

Thai Asylum has in the past involved forcing refugees off cliffs.

poor little thailand nobody understands us .................

Thailand I'm sure looks at Europe, and sees the mess there.

Europe? Where that?

poor little thailand nobody understands us .................

Pakistani Christians are routinely persecuted in their own country and even have their lives threatened. If you are a pastor or lay pastor and actually do any preaching then it is worse for you there. Thailand has no compassion for asylum-seekers here and their U.N. papers mean nothing to Thai immigration. I know personally of Pakistani's and children being held in BKK immigration where the accommodations are worse than ANY Western prison. The prisoners are fed a bowl of rice or little more daily. If they get food it is from the outside. There is little accommodation for the older refugees or those with medical issues. When someone speaks out about it to the U.N. or outside authority, IDC responds with more harsh measures against the "inmates". These people have done nothing other than an overstay because of the high cost of their visas. They are not allowed to work which contributes to their financial duress. The U.N isn't worth a bucket of spit since they are all tied up with the Syrian refugees and their funding has run out. Sad place to be simply for those that want to worship God freely.

Thailand I'm sure looks at Europe, and sees the mess there.

The invaders in Europe aren't Christians!

Thailand I'm sure looks at Europe, and sees the mess there.

The invaders in Europe aren't Christians!

Yawn.

It has not to do with religion. That person is an Illegal Alien. That is all there is to it. Just because she is a Christian, from Pakistan, means nothing under the Law. BBC is always good at blowing everything out of proportion, except when it comes to them having child abusers working for them.

But there is hardly a welcoming committee in Thailand. The country doesn't want asylum seekers from anywhere. It is not a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention, and anyone without a valid visa or a work permit risks being arrested, charged with illegal immigration and jailed.

Seriously, how <deleted> compassionate.

Why didnt they go to India it is a lot closer than Thailand?

It has not to do with religion. That person is an Illegal Alien. That is all there is to it. Just because she is a Christian, from Pakistan, means nothing under the Law. BBC is always good at blowing everything out of proportion, except when it comes to them having child abusers working for them.

Wrong.

This case is all about the way refugees fleeing persecution are being poorly treated.

Far from being blown out of proportion this case needs to be further highlighted and the persecuted treated as the victims they are.

"It comes from history. It comes from the record of the Inquisition, persecuting heretics and torturing Jews and all that sort of stuff; and it comes from the other side, too, from the Protestants burning the Catholics. It comes from the insensate pursuit of innocent and crazy old women, and from the Puritans in America burning and hanging the witches and it comes not only from the Christian church but also from the Taliban. Every single religion that has a monotheistic god ends up by persecuting other people and killing them because they don't accept him. Wherever you look in history, you find that. Its still going on."

Philip Pullman

Thailand's Christians...they make up a little over 1% of the Thai population...should unite to find a way to help these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ...

It speaks volumes that the UN and the Thai government...let's these folk languish in prison...

The world is a sxxt-hole and Thailand is the dump site...

Thailand's Christians...they make up a little over 1% of the Thai population...should unite to find a way to help these fellow brothers and sisters in Christ...

It speaks volumes that the UN and the Thai government...let's these folk languish in prison...

The world is a sxxt-hole and Thailand is the dump site...

The UN didn't gaol them.

Though they do need to get their finger out and help these people find somewhere to go where they are treated like human beings.

"It comes from history. It comes from the record of the Inquisition, persecuting heretics and torturing Jews and all that sort of stuff; and it comes from the other side, too, from the Protestants burning the Catholics. It comes from the insensate pursuit of innocent and crazy old women, and from the Puritans in America burning and hanging the witches and it comes not only from the Christian church but also from the Taliban. Every single religion that has a monotheistic god ends up by persecuting other people and killing them because they don't accept him. Wherever you look in history, you find that. Its still going on."

Philip Pullman

Please B/Spunk we are talking about TODAY. Nobody is denying that Christians and other religious persuasions behaved abominably in the past. Are you condoning the PRESENT persecution of Christians and other non Islamic persuasions that are happening>? You seem to be an Islamic apologist, would you care to comment about the barbaric tension that is happening between the the Sunni and Shiite factions of the the religion that you so vigorously defend in all your posts on this forum?

The UN tries to work with the Thai gov't. A small stipend is issued to those who qualify as refugees. Since Thailand isn't a signatory to the UN Conventions on Refugees, they are technically listed as 'persons of concern' by the UN. There existence is at the whim, vagrancies and capricious nature of the Thai gov't.

Please stay on topic.

For the hard of thinking my post quoting Phillip Pullman is intended to support of the christians who are fleeing persecution in Pakistan. Quoted to counter a previous poster who refused to recognise their legitimate status as persecuted refugees. Possibly a poorly chosen quote but there you go, we all make mistakes.

For the even harder of thinking who seem unable to grasp this argument but instead inject their own ignorance into their posts I do not apologise for anyone or anything. I just despise bigots and those who find hate in any story.

And for the asinine I do not ever defend any form of religious intolerance or persecution. Quite the opposite in fact.

Just a few personal observations I feel I should make, not related to any post at all.

Edited February 26, 201610 yr by Bluespunk

Nice plan for would be muzzlim troublemakers….get fake papers saying you're christian…read the bible a little bit….get asylum somewhere in the west….carry on with the plan.

Ah, here we go...the return of the asinine.

Probably there are more Christians in Thailand now than in Europe?

Probably there are more Christians in Thailand now than in Europe?

On reflection, probably not.