Thailand Imprisons 43 Vietnamese Activists: Deportation Fears Rise
Bangkok—Forty-three members of the Montagnard minority, a marginalized hill tribe from Vietnam’s Central Highlands, are incarcerated in Bangkok after being convicted of illegal entry into Thailand. This has raised concerns among human rights groups fearing their deportation to Vietnam, where they face persecution for their religious beliefs and activism.
The group, including the wife of jailed activist Y Quynh Bdap, was arrested during a police raid on Sunday. The raid targeted a funeral service in Nonthaburi for Bdap’s recently deceased mother-in-law. Of the 68 initially detained, 43 were sentenced on Wednesday. Fined 4,000 baht each, their inability to pay resulted in eight-day jail sentences. According to Pol Col Ronapat Tubtimtong, Bang Yai district police chief, they will be transferred to the Suan Phlu detention center after serving their sentences. While Pol Col Ronapat stated there is no immediate deportation, the situation remains precarious, with NGOs typically intervening to secure bail releases. The remaining detainees, possessing legal documentation, were released.
This incident underscores the ongoing struggle of the Montagnards, predominantly Christian communities historically at odds with the Vietnamese communist government. Many have fled Vietnam, seeking refuge from religious persecution and advocating for greater autonomy, or even independence, for their region.
The case of Y Quynh Bdap, an Ede tribesman and founder of Montagnards Stand For Justice (MSFJ), exemplifies the challenges faced by this group. Bdap, who fled to Thailand with his family in 2018 citing religious persecution, was granted refugee status by the UNHCR. However, following a Vietnamese extradition request, he was arrested in Bangkok in June 2024 and sentenced to six months' imprisonment for illegal entry, pending extradition review. Vietnam accuses Bdap and MSFJ, an organization Hanoi has designated as «terrorist,» of involvement in a June 2023 attack on government offices in Dak Lak province, resulting in nine deaths. Bdap and MSFJ vehemently deny these allegations. If extradited, Bdap faces a 10-year prison sentence for «terrorism,» already handed down in absentia by a Vietnamese court. Human rights advocates fear he faces a significant risk of torture if returned to Vietnam.
Further complicating matters, Vietnamese authorities this month designated the US-based humanitarian organization Boat People SOS (BPSOS) as «terrorist,» accusing it of funding MSFJ and attempting to prevent Bdap’s deportation. BPSOS, known for rescuing thousands of Vietnamese boat people in the 1980s, currently assists victims of human rights abuses and Vietnamese asylum seekers in neighboring countries.
Bdap’s extradition case continues, with his lawyer, Nadthasiri Bergman, filing an appeal on February 14th. The appeal cites Thailand’s 2022 Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, adding a legal layer to the proceedings. However, the court has yet to issue a decision, and there is no established timeline for a ruling.
The fate of the 43 jailed Montagnards, and Y Quynh Bdap, remains uncertain. Their plight highlights the complex interplay of international law, human rights, and political tensions, raising urgent questions about the protection of vulnerable minorities fleeing persecution.
