"CrCf" calls on Law committee to ensure Thailand remains a safe space for refugees

Photo: Punyaphon Rakcharoen via SAP NEWS

On October 15, 2025 the CrCf (Cross Cultural Foundation), a network of refugees and human rights activists, summit a petition to the House of Representatives' The Committee on Legal Affairs, Justice and Human Rights about Mr. Dương Văn Thái, a Vietnamese activist who asylum to Thailand in 2018 and was forcibly disappeared on April 13, 2023 before being deported to Vietnam. Mr. Dương Văn Thái is a Vietnamese activist and journalist who has participated in nonviolent rallies for environmental and democratic rights. He also belongs to the Independent Journalists Association Viet nam, which supports and protects human rights and media independence.   Both organizations have faced tremendous repression in Vietnam. Mr. Duang Van Thai has also played an important role in uncovering corruption and publishing critical assessments on the country's position in politics.

Photo: Punyaphon Rakcharoen via SAP NEWS

Ms. Prakaidao Prueksakasemsuk, Deputy Director of the Cross-Cultural Foundation, Mr. Duang Van Thai received refugee status in Thailand from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in 2020. In 2023, 4 men kidnapped him in Pathum Thani province. Later discovered to have been transferred to Vietnam and accused of "propaganda against the state."   He was condemned to 12 years in prison by a Hanoi court.   This kidnapping could be considered a breach of Thailand and Vietnam's non-refoulement, and it may involve officials from both countries. As a result, he has filed a complaint with the Justice and Human Rights Commission for further inquiry.   This is especially relevant if Thai government officials were involved in the disappearance or if the occurrence occurred during the day.   

Photo: Punyaphon Rakcharoen via SAP NEWS

Ms. Grace Thu Trang Thi Bui, a Vietnamese-American human rights activist, stated that she had come to research the realities behind enforced disappearances in Thailand.   This is not the first such case in which a journalist mysteriously disappeared 4 years ago. Thailand should be a safe sanctuary for foreigners and refugees, not a country where people are forcibly disappeared.   She encouraged the Thai government to take a position on this problem

Photo: Punyaphon Rakcharoen via SAP NEWS

Ms. Chonticha Jaengrew, MPs of People's Party's stated that she has received complaints about these cases and discovered that Thai government officials have collaborated with neighboring government officials to commit outrageous acts in Thailand. The committee will vigorously explore this issue and found the failure to gather the facts and ensure that Thai government officials explicitly follow the law will have a detrimental impact on Thailand's international image and foreigners' safety in Thailand. Lessons from the instance of a Chinese actor tricked and kidnapped in Myanmar caused anxiety and made Thailand no longer a safe refuge.

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