Detained Christians in Thailand: ASEAN's Latest Refugee Issue - The Diplomat

Detained Christians in Thailand: ASEAN’s Latest Refugee Issue – The Diplomat 25/10/20, 12:01 AM
ASEAN BEAT
Detained
Christians in
Thailand:
ASEAN’s Latest
Refugee Issue
Their plight is an all-too-
familiar story in the
region.
By Luke Hunt
March 03, 2016
https://thediplomat.com/2016/03/detained-christians-in-thailand-aseans-latest-refugee-issue/ Page 1 of 6
Rohingya refugees at a UN camp.

Credit: European Commission DG ECHO
Southeast Asia, with its ten countries

squeezed into an area half the size of China
and a volatile mix of politics and old-
fashioned hatreds, has no shortage of issues
with refugees, internally displaced people
(IDPs), asylum seekers, illegal immigrants,
smugglers, and traffickers.
Its porous borders and overstretched police

mean there is no shortage of people prepared
to try their luck in search of a safer, and
perhaps more prosperous, life, as witnessed
by the exodus of Rohingya Muslims out of
Myanmar last year which left thousands
stranded at sea.
Their story holds a familiar ring. BBC News

has detailed the plight of thousands of
Christian refugees from Pakistan, arrested
and detained in Thailand after fleeing
persecution in their own home. Some were
arrested despite being registered by the
United Nations as asylum seekers.
Christians in Muslim-dominated Pakistan

have always proved an easy target for the
Taliban and like-minded militias who dole

themselves up as jihadists and use a twisted
logic to justify their thuggish behavior. That
includes a convert or die attitude towards
Christians.
The BBC quoted Pastor Joshua, a Christian

from Lahore, who fled to Thailand and still
fears those in Pakistan who decided to
punish him for converting from Islam to
Christianity. “My bone was broken – the one
right above the heart. And they tried to cut
my arm off,” he said. “My sister was
murdered, she was burned alive, just because
she spoke the word ‘God’. They hate the word
‘God’ so much. She was burned for this
reason alone.”
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Their plight is severe, but they are far from

alone. There a million-plus refugees housed
in water villages around the north coast of
Borneo in the East Malaysian state of Sabah.
They have been there for around 40 years,
with at least two generations of children
reared who do not hold any connection to
their Filipino roots.
Refugees are an issue that has bedeviled the

region and beyond – from Hong Kong to New
Zealand – for decades. More importantly, it
will continue to do so unless a genuine deal
can be reached and honored by regional
governments, who have much at stake.
On a per capita basis, Australia accepts more

recognized refugees for resettlement than
any other country in the world and is ranked
third overall in terms of sheer numbers. But

it only takes those that have been processed
by the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), the UN’s refugee agency,
and asylum seekers arriving as illegal
immigrants by boat are re-directed to Nauru
and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea,
where their claims are processed.
Over the last two-and-a-half-years this has

proved effective in ending the people
smuggling rackets which plied the Indian
Ocean and Timor Sea to Australia, costing the
lives of many who perished in unseaworthy
vessels. The problem is hundreds have been
left stranded in Australian-funded camps on
Nauru and Manus.
A push to have them resettled in Cambodia

has effectively further frightened off
potential asylum seekers, who are now
heading for Europe. But as a resettlement
exercise it failed because only a handful have
agreed to settle there.
In ASEAN, meanwhile, only two member

states – Cambodia and the Philippines –have
signed up to the UN’s Refugee Convention.
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation which

has accepted migrants through UNHCR, has
also faced allegations that it was using
Muslims fleeing the conflict in the southern
Philippines to bolster the number of Muslims
living in Sabah, once a predominantly
Christian state.
There has also been local speculation that

identity cards and citizenship papers have
been handed out in return for support for the
long-ruling United Malays National

Organization (UMNO), which is suffering
under Prime Minister Najib Razak and
allegations of massive corruption.
A regional rethink and a consensus would

help.
If there is going to be a solution then

Southeast Asia — perhaps through ASEAN —
Australia, Nauru, and Papua New Guinea
must also be involved in a regional dialogue
along with other countries in the region that
are in a position to offer resettlement but
tend to shy away. That includes the likes of
South Korea and Japan.
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for full access. Just $5 a month.
Luke Hunt can be followed on Twitter

@lukeanthonyhunt
AUTHORS
CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR
Luke Hunt
Luke Hunt is a Southeast Asia

correspondent for The Diplomat
and has worked in journalism for
more than 25 years.
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Detained Christians in Thailand: ASEAN’s Latest Refugee Issue – The Diplomat 25/10/20, 12:01 AM

Rohingya refugees at a UN camp.

Southeast Asia, with its ten countries

Its porous borders and overstretched police

Their story holds a familiar ring. BBC News

Christians in Muslim-dominated Pakistan

Taliban and like-minded militias who dole

The BBC quoted Pastor Joshua, a Christian

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe

Their plight is severe, but they are far from

Refugees are an issue that has bedeviled the

On a per capita basis, Australia accepts more

third overall in terms of sheer numbers. But

Over the last two-and-a-half-years this has

A push to have them resettled in Cambodia

In ASEAN, meanwhile, only two member

Malaysia, a Muslim-majority nation which

There has also been local speculation that

long-ruling United Malays National

A regional rethink and a consensus would

If there is going to be a solution then

Enjoying this article? Click here to subscribe

Luke Hunt can be followed on Twitter

Luke Hunt is a Southeast Asia

ASEAN Beat ASEAN Rohingya response

Australia Southeast Asia refugee crisis Muslim Rohingyas

Rohingya boat crisis Southeast Asia refugee crisis

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