April 8, 2015
Dear Representative Sir/Madam,
Jubilee Campaign respectfully requests your assistance to protect Thailand’s most vulnerable refugee population. Out of approximately 7,600 refugees in Thailand, 4,000 Pakistani Christians fleeing religious persecution now seek asylum, according to January 2015 statistics published by the UNHCR. They await interviews with the UNHCR office in Bangkok, with waiting periods of 3 and a half years or more.
In March, Jubilee Campaign conducted interviews with several Pakistani refugees confirming this situation. In the past few months, they have experienced a wave of unexplained arrests by Thai authorities. The prevailing atmosphere is one of fear, particularly since the Thai government’s mass raid and arrest of 121 Pakistani Christian asylum seekers on March 13.
The prevailing account is that the crackdown is targeting all refugee communities, but especially Pakistani Christians because they are easily identifiable by their appearance and living situations.
Your engagement is critical to bringing justice to the Pakistani refugees in Thailand. We suggest several ways you may join our advocacy efforts:
- Call or write the Thai Embassy urging equal protection and asylum for the refugees
- Generate a joint congressional letter
- Petition the Department of State to intervene with Thai authorities
- Spread awareness of the Pakistani refugees through social media or public statements
We sincerely appreciate your consideration of this critical issue.
Sincerely,
Ann Buwalda,
Chief Executive Officer
Cover image by michael_swan on Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)
Photo description: “Raeza has been in Bangkok with her husband and two sons for two years. UNHCR rejected their claim for refugee status but she and her family feel they cannot go back”