Human rights groups have urged Cambodian authorities to immediately drop “politically motivated charges” against activists Veourn Veasna and Voeung Samnang, who were forcibly returned by Thai immigration authorities this week.
Both men are tied to the outlawed Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP) and were deported despite the intervention of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees where they had registered under refugee protection.
“Thailand’s forcible return of these two refugees shows a blatant disregard for fundamental refugee protection principles,” said Bill Frelick, the refugee and migrants director at Human Rights Watch (HRW).
“The Thai government’s actions make it complicit in the Cambodian government’s persecution of its political opponents, which appears to extend beyond Cambodia’s borders.”
He said both men should be immediately and unconditionally released, adding that Thai immigration officials had also put them at risk of unfair trials in Cambodia.
Hundreds of CNRP officials and other dissidents have been rounded up and detained on charges ranging from incitement to treason since the opposition party was dissolved by the courts in late 2017.
While Thailand is not a party to the Refugee Convention, it is bound to the principle of non-refoulement under customary international law
The long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party then won every seat contested at elections the following year. Since then arrests have persisted, gaining momentum after opposition leader in exile Sam Rainsy declared he would return to Cambodia and stage a popular uprising.
Prime Minister Hun Sen recently warned his government “will do what it takes to crack down” on dissidents planning protests against his authoritarian rule when Cambodia takes its turn chairing the Association of South East Nations in 2022.
HRW said authorities had transferred both men to the Correctional Center 1 in Phnom Penh.
It said Voeung Samnang had created several Facebook accounts and pages under his name on which he shared posts by Sam Rainsy that criticized the Cambodian government on various political issues, including the government’s Covid-19 response.
Thank you. You are now signed up to Daily newsletter
Veourn Veasna also created several Facebook accounts and pages under the name “Kranhoung Prey Lang.” A poem he wrote labeling Hun Sen a traitor led the prime minister to call for Veasna’s arrest in October.
HRW noted the international refugee law principle of non-refoulement provides that no one should be returned to a country where they are likely to face persecution, torture or other serious harm.
“In recent months, Cambodian refugees hiding in Bangkok have reported escalating levels of surveillance and threats by unidentified people whom they believe are Cambodian officials,” it said in a statement.
It said the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which Cambodia is a party, prohibits the return of a refugee “in any manner whatsoever,” which would include extradition.
“While Thailand is not a party to the Refugee Convention, it is bound to the principle of non-refoulement under customary international law.”
Support UCA News…
….as we enter the last months of 2021, we are asking readers like you to help us keep UCA News free.
For the last 40 years, UCA News has remained the most trusted and independent Catholic news and information service from Asia. Every week, we publish nearly 100 news reports, feature stories, commentaries, podcasts and video broadcasts that are exclusive and in-depth, and developed from a view of the world and the Church through informed Catholic eyes.
Our journalistic standards are as high as any in the quality press; our focus is particularly on a fast-growing part of the world – Asia – where, in some countries the Church is growing faster than pastoral resources can respond to – South Korea, Vietnam and India to name just three.
And UCA News has the advantage of having in its ranks local reporters who cover 23 countries in south, southeast, and east Asia. We report the stories of local people and their experiences in a way that Western news outlets simply don’t have the resources to reach. And we report on the emerging life of new Churches in old lands where being a Catholic can at times be very dangerous.
With dwindling support from funding partners in Europe and the USA, we need to call on the support of those who benefit from our work.
Click here to find out the ways you can support UCA News. You can make a difference for as little as US$5…
Credit: Source link
