Volunteer human rights group Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) is receiving updates on continuing arrests of Pakistan Christian refugees in Thailand, as well as new communications with refugee organizations on this urgent issue. We urge the human rights community to act to end the ongoing arrests of Pakistan Christian refugee seekers in Thailand. Today’s arrests this afternoon (March 13) was mostly of Pakistan Christian women and children seeking asylum from oppression in Pakistan.

New Arrests

After what appeared to be a brief delay, there has been a massive group of arrests of Pakistan Christian refugee seekers in Thailand today. The Thailand police have been arresting such refugees who have been waiting for the UNHCR to act on their application for refugee status. The most recent arrests include an emphasis on arresting women and children of such individuals who have applied to UNHCR for refugee status. We are receiving new reports both of new arrests and of new interest by some in the UNHCR and other refugee organizations. (UPDATE: CBN has posted a video news story on the recent arrests.)

In terms of has received local reports that there were arrests of 300 refugee seekers early today, on March 13, 2015. We have been getting reports arrests in the early morning in Thailand, arresting women, children, and men who are Pakistan Christian refugees, with Thai police searching in building to arrest Pakistan Christians. Later in the day on March 13, 2015, we received reports that that “44 children, 43 women, and 35 men were arrested by police.”

The Farrukh Saif Foundation reports: “Immigration Police of Thailand, with the military, raided the houses of asylum seekers living in Samrong district. Hours before raiding the houses, the area and streets were cordoned off by Thai military; it was like an operation against Criminals. Asylum seekers from inside their homes kept calling around to their other asylum seekers for prayers, calling UNHCR also for protection, but their fate was unavoidable. As soon as the operation started, the Thai military smashed the doors and entered in the rooms of asylum seekers and started arresting the people. Minor kids, women, young and old everyone were treated in an inhuman way. Loads of people were arrested and shifted to Samrong Police station. Many were crying, begging and requesting, showing their asylum seekers certificates but none paid any heed. We immediately rushed to the Samrong Police station but no one was in the mood to cooperate. All arrested people were held in the car parking area and later on they were be seated on the floor inside the police station and Immigration police and other authorities were not ready to listen to any request.”

As reported on March 9, 2015, R.E.A.L. and other human rights groups have appealed to the UNHCR HQ, UNHCR Bangkok, Thailand Prime Minister, Thailand Ambassador in the United States, and the United States Charge d’affaires at the United States embassy in Bangkok, and the United States Immigration Service at the United States embassy in Bangkok.

We are receiving reports that the double-persecuted Pakistani Christian refugees who fled religious oppression and persecution in Pakistan are now suffering in Thailand detention. The detention center’s condition has been reported as very poor, overcrowded and highly unhygienic, with women, children, and elderly sick in jail.

The U.N. has previously reported on this issue in 2011, four years ago.

New Communications on Refugee Issues

R.E.A.L. has been calling the Thailand ambassador in the United States and we are trying to get an audience with him on this matter in Washington, D.C.

One suggestion that we offered was to urge the United States of America government to provide sanctuary to these Pakistan Christian refugees.

The U.S. Bangkok Refugee Section (BnkRefugeeSection@state.gov) replied to R.E.A.L. that if the UNHCR refers such cases to the United States, then the United States can act under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). In response to our request if such Pakistan Christian refugees could be accommodated under U.S. CIS asylum application Form I-589, Application for Asylum and for Withholding of Removal, we received the following response from U.S. Bangkok Refugee Section: “Regarding resettlement to the United States, under the guidelines of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), refugees are eligible for consideration for refugee resettlement in the United States if UNHCR determines that they require third country resettlement for protection reasons and refers the case to the USRAP. If UNHCR believes someone should be resettled in a third country, they will refer the case to a resettlement country, such as the United States, Canada, or Australia. ”

Many mature Americans will remember the past activities of the United States in granting asylum to Russian refugees from the Communist Totalitarian U.S.S.R. within U.S. Embassies around the world. Certainly the Pakistan Christian refugees fleeing their oppression have just as much right to asylum and protection by free nations.

Within the United States, R.E.A.L. has also contacted the UNHRC offices in New York City and Washington DC in our efforts to get attention on this issue. We previously contacted the UNHCR headquarters offices in Switzerland and the UNHRC Bangkok field office. We have expanded our call to action the UNHRC Director’s office in New York City, and the Washington DC office, with a call to expedite the issue of Pakistan Christian refugees.

We are in communication with those who are also reaching out to U.S. Congressional representatives on this issue.

Among all of the arrests of refugees in Thailand, we have also heard that some in the UNHRC are beginning to listen, and some additional asylum interviews are being scheduled. This is the importance of using our global voice to defend our oppressed brothers and sisters in humanity.

The UNHCR reports that its 2015 partner NGO agencies in Thailand include: Adventist Development and Relief Agency, American Refugee Committee, Catholic Office for Emergency Relief and Refugees, Handicap International, International Rescue Committee, Jesuit Refugee Service, Première Urgence – Aide Médicale Internationale, The Border Consortium

R.E.A.L. has been urged to reach out to other Christian leaders to get their international support, and we call for major Christian leaders around the world to take a stand on this issue of religious freedom and dignity. We call upon American Christian leaders, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Pope Francis, and Christian leaders around the world to speak out for the oppressed Pakistan Christians, both the refugees in Thailand and those continuing to be oppressed in Pakistan. R.E.A.L has been in touch with the Jubilee Campaign, Open Doors, and other organizations.

We have also been contacted by other Pakistan Christian refugee organizations looking to make a difference.

This includes:

— Iman Foundation Trust

— Christian Asylum Seekers Association

— The Farrukh Saif Foundation

and of course, the Pakistan Christian Post of the Pakistan Christian Congress

Government and Refugee Community Points of Contacts

The following are points of contact that we have reached on this topic within the government and the refugee community. These are being shared in the hopes that other human rights activists will also follow up with these individuals to make it clear that this is a shared concern for action on this urgent issue. If you have other contacts, please let us know at usa@realcourage.org, so that we can update this information.

UNHCR, New York: The Director of UNHCR Office in New York, P.O. Box 20 Grand NY 10017, Grand Central, 10017 New York, NY, United States,
Telephone: 1-212-963-0032
Fax: 1-212-963-0074
Email: usane@unhcr.org

UNHCR Regional Representative in Thailand
3rd Floor, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, 10200 Bangkok, Thailand
Telephone: 66 2 288 1858
FAX: 66 2 280 0555
Email: thaba@unhcr.org

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Case Postale 2500
CH-1211 Genève 2 Dépôt
Suisse (Switzerland)
Telephone: +41 22 739 8111
FAX: +41 22 739 7377

UNHCR, Washington DC
1775 K Street, NW, Suite 300, 20006 Washington, DC, United States
Telephone: 1-202-296-5191
Fax: 1-202-296-5660
Email: usawa@unhcr.org

Embassy of the United States of America
Bangkok, Thailand
Chargé d’affaires, a.i.
W. Patrick Murphy
GPF Tower A, 10th Floor, 93/1 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Telephone: +66-2-205-4485
Central Fax: +66-2-650-8921
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/cda.html

U.S. Bangkok Refugee Section
Embassy of the United States of America
Bangkok, Thailand
Refugee and Migration Affairs (RMA) Office
Political Section
120-122 Wireless Road, Bangkok, 10330 Thailand
Telephone: +66-2-205-4000
Fax: +66-2-205-4375
E-mail: BnkRefugeeSection@state.gov
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/rma_contact.html

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (BKK CIS)
Address: Sindhorn Building, Tower 2, 15th Floor, 130-132 Wireless Road, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Telephone: 02-205-5352 (within Thailand)
Telephone: 011-662-205-5352 (from the United States)
Email: BKKCIS.Inquiries@uscis.dhs.gov
Field Office Director: Gregory Sanders
http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/embassy/usgmain/uscis.html

Kingdom of Thailand
The Secretariat of the Prime Minister
Government House, 1 Phitsanulok Road, Dusit, Bangkok 10300
General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister
FAX: 66 2 282 5131

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Today’s letter by R.E.A.L received by UNHCR in NYC and Washington DC.

March 13, 2015

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Director of UNHCR Office
P.O. Box 20
Grand Central, New York, NY 10017
United States
Telephone: 1-212-963-0032
Facsimile: 1-212-963-0074
Email: usane@unhcr.org

cc:
UNHCR Regional Representative in Thailand
3rd Floor, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, 10200 Bangkok, Thailand
(Telephone: 66 2 288 1858 FAX: 66 2 280 0555 Email: thaba@unhcr.org)

UNHCR, Washington DC: 1775 K Street, NW, Suite 300, 20006 Washington, DC,
(Telephone: 1-202-296-5191, Facsimile: 1-202-296-5660, Email: usawa@unhcr.org)

URGENT: UNHCR Action Needed for Pakistan Christian Refugees in Thailand

UNHCR Director’s Office –
I am with the human rights volunteer group Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), and I am contacting you on behalf of Pakistan Christian refugees who have fled from Pakistan due to the oppressive religious discrimination that they are facing in that country. They have applied for UNHCR refugee status and they are seeking asylum as refugees.

On March 9, 2015, I contacted the UNHCR Headquarters and the UNHCR Regional Representative in Thailand on this issue, and I have not heard back from either on this emergency issue.

I have heard directly from Thailand-based refugees who have applied for asylum as refugees with the UNHCR offices in Bangkok, Thailand. Some of these refugees have been waiting for years on a refugee status decision. In the meantime, the Thailand police are arresting Pakistan Christian asylum seekers.

On March 9, 2015, I was directly contacted about a round of arrests of Pakistan Christian refugees in Thailand. On the early morning of March 13, 2015, I have heard that 300 such Pakistan Christian refugees were arrested in Thailand. In the past two hours, I have heard that more arrests of Pakistan Christian refugees have happened “44 children, 43 women, and 35 men arrested by police.” We have also been told today that the Thai military smashed the doors and entered in the rooms of asylum seekers and started arresting the people. Minor kids, women, young and old everyone were treated in an inhuman way. Loads of people were arrested and shifted to Samrong Police station. Many were crying, begging and requesting, showing their asylum seekers certificates but none paid any heed.”

We are calling for the UNHCR Director’s Office, the Thailand field office, and the UNHCR Headquarters to act on behalf of these UNHCR Pakistan Christian refugees seeking asylum.

In addition, I have been in direct contact with the U.S. Bangkok Refugee Section (BnkRefugeeSection@state.gov) on this matter. The U.S. Bangkok Refugee Section states that if your UNHCR organization refers these cases to the United States, then the United States can act under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP). I am certain that many, many Americans would support such an action to assist in the refugee support. At least give this opportunity a chance.

Pakistan Christian women, children, and men refugees are desperately seeking asylum as refugees from the oppression that they routinely face in Pakistan.

I join with the Pakistan Christian Congress and other human rights groups which call for your agencies to take action to protect the universal human rights, dignity, and security, of such refugees who have placed their hopes in your commitment to the universal human rights that the United Nations has itself declared as standard for all nations of the world.

On March 8, the world celebrated International Women’s Day. Today women and children Christian refugees fleeing from Pakistan are now hiding from arrests going on in Thailand, while they have been awaiting action by the UNHCR.

There are many thousands of Pakistan Christian asylum seekers who are contributing members to Thailand and its economy while they await the UNHCR decision on their asylum applications with office of UNHCR in different cities of Thailand.

Pakistan Christian refugees seeking asylum by Thailand have been communicating in an appeal to human rights groups to address their plight. One such Pakistan Christian asylum seeker, Jarvas Jerry, died last week as he was waiting for medical care, which apparently came too late. Mr. Jarvas Jerry died in the Siri raj hospital Bangkok on February 28, 2015. He had applied for asylum with the UNCHR.

Please act to support these women, children, and men Christian refugees in Thailand who are only seeking the universal human rights that the United Nation is committed to in its Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) for the world.

Jeffrey Imm, Founder
Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.)
The United States of America

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