Thailand arrested and repatriated the group of activists the next day. As soon as they entered Cambodia, they were detained by local authorities and transferred to three different prisons. Human Rights Watch denounced the operation, noting that authoritarian governments in Southeast Asia have long exchanged political prisoners. Starting in 2025, Thailand will have a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Bangkok (/Agencies) – Thai authorities repatriated six Cambodian political opponents and a child, the grandson of one of the activists. These are people who had obtained refugee status or, in one case, were waiting to receive it. “Thai officials have used immigration charges as a convenient excuse to deport these Cambodian refugees, without judicial oversight and in flagrant disregard of basic refugee protection principles,” said Elaine Pearson, regional director for Asia. Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Pen Chan Sangkream, Hong An, Mean Chanthon, Yin Chanthou, Soeung Khunthea and Vorn Chanratchana were arrested on November 24 in Pathum Thani, north of the capital Bangkok, on charges of being in Thailand illegally. The next day they were expelled to Cambodia, where they were taken to three different prisons, while the 5-year-old boy was handed over to his family. According to arrest warrants issued by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court, the six activists are charged with “conspiracy” under Article 453 of the Penal Code, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The six activists are actually members of the Cambodian National Rescue party, which has long represented the opposition within Cambodia’s authoritarian regime. Since it was dissolved in 2017, the Cambodian government has pursued former members with politically motivated accusations, HRW notes. According to Radio Free AsiaPen Chansangkream and Hong An had already been imprisoned in 2021 for participating in some protests calling on the Cambodian government to address issues of social injustice. In 2022, the six opponents had taken refuge in Thailand, where they obtained international protection from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Only one person in the group expected that status to be recognized.
Thailand has long been accused of helping governments in the region repress political dissidents: those fleeing Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia are returned to their respective governments in exchange for Thai opponents and activists. This practice, widely documented by HRWviolates the norms of customary international law (Thailand has never signed the Geneva Convention on refugees but allows UNHCR to operate in its territory) and the United Nations Convention on Torture (of which Thailand in this case is a signatory ), as well as Thai internal laws themselves. The legislation for the prevention and repression of torture and enforced disappearances, which came into force in February 2023, establishes that “no government body or public official may expel, deport or extradite a person to another State if there are justified reasons for believe that she is at risk of being subjected to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or forced disappearance.”
In February of this year, Thai police had arrested three political opponents in Bangkok before the visit of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who came to power last year in an undemocratic manner, succeeding his father, Hun Sen. During the visit, Prime Minister Hun Manet thanked his Thai counterpart, Srettha Thavisin, for his commitment to preventing “harmful activities” against neighboring countries. In the same period, three former members of the Candlelight Party (the party that today represents the Cambodian opposition) who had taken refuge in Thailand for fear of political persecution in their country were also arrested.
Thailand recently gained approval for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council, for a three-year period starting January 1, 2025.
Add Comment