Let's Get Children out of Detention
Donation protected
Hi Friends,
I went (again) today to the immigration detention center here in Thailand (you can read about my other visits to IDC here and here ) . I visited a few of the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker and Refugee Minors that I work with. We stared at each other through the chain fences and I mustered up whatever hopeful words I could think of. I had brought them what little I could- a blanket that they could sleep on, shampoo and snacks. I asked what they wanted, for the next time I visit, and after a long pause one of the boys said, "freedom".
Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. While many asylum seekers arrive to Thailand with a passport and tourist visa, once their visas expire they are seen as illegal immigrants and are at constant risk of arrest and indefinite detention (even when the UNHCR has recognized their refugee status).
A few weeks ago there was a massive roundup of many asylum seekers living in Bangkok. During that time about 15 of the young people I work with were arrested. I work with children 17 years or younger, who have fled their country of origin due to fear of persecution and threat of death, and who have arrived in Thailand without their family/parents.
The conditions in the detention center are bad. Due to all of the arrests the rooms are very overcrowded. Sickness is inevitable, sleep is impossible, the food is inadequate, the drinking water supply is insufficient, and access to medical services are vastly limited. The psychosocial effects on a person, especially a young person (my clients inside range from age 4 to 17) are significant.
Sometimes Thai immigration allows detainees to be "bailed out" of IDC. To be granted bail, the detainee must pay 50,000 Baht (about 1500 USD) and find a Thai national who will act as their guarantor. Once bailed they are required to report regularly to immigration authorities.
So here's the thing... I need your money. =) If I raised enough money to bail out all of my kids-that would be fantastic. It is a sad thing to see children in prison, especially considering all that these kids have already gone through. More likely, I'll raise enough money to bail out only one or two of my clients. I already have a guarantor for my most vulnerable client, who has some urgent medical issues and whose ability to survive in IDC is most at risk. I have the guarantor, I don't have the 50,000 Baht*.
Over the last few years I have travelled a bit. I have exposed myself to many different people and places, and then, naturally, the problems and the suffering of those people in those places have made themself known to me. There are so many good "causes" out there to throw money at and so I am hesitant, most always, to ask people to give their money. But I am not hesitant today. I need your money to save a life, or at the very least change a life, or at the most basic level, to offer hope to these kids that they can have a life. Please consider donating to get these kids out of detention!
(*To be completely transparent: Bail can be revoked at any time. At the time bail is revoked, or once the detainee has left Thailand (through resettlement or repatriation, etc) the money posted for bail is returned to the person who paid it. While that could be 2 years into the future, the money will be returned to me at some point. As I'm sure you know, my dear friends, I have been advocating for the rights of refugees for the last 10 years or so-in one way or another. Whether the money is returned to me in 5 months or 5 years, I am positive I can find another impactful use for it to better the lives of refugees in Bangkok or elsewhere. If that doesn't suit you, alternative arrangements could be made. =) )
More information (though still limited-someone needs to properly cover this!) on the recent wave of arrests in Thailand and conditions in the Immigration Detention Center:
pakistani-christians-suffer-in-thailand-jail
Two Years With No Moon
http://www.realcourage.org/2015/03/thailand-appeal-for-mercy/
I went (again) today to the immigration detention center here in Thailand (you can read about my other visits to IDC here and here ) . I visited a few of the Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker and Refugee Minors that I work with. We stared at each other through the chain fences and I mustered up whatever hopeful words I could think of. I had brought them what little I could- a blanket that they could sleep on, shampoo and snacks. I asked what they wanted, for the next time I visit, and after a long pause one of the boys said, "freedom".
Thailand is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. While many asylum seekers arrive to Thailand with a passport and tourist visa, once their visas expire they are seen as illegal immigrants and are at constant risk of arrest and indefinite detention (even when the UNHCR has recognized their refugee status).
A few weeks ago there was a massive roundup of many asylum seekers living in Bangkok. During that time about 15 of the young people I work with were arrested. I work with children 17 years or younger, who have fled their country of origin due to fear of persecution and threat of death, and who have arrived in Thailand without their family/parents.
The conditions in the detention center are bad. Due to all of the arrests the rooms are very overcrowded. Sickness is inevitable, sleep is impossible, the food is inadequate, the drinking water supply is insufficient, and access to medical services are vastly limited. The psychosocial effects on a person, especially a young person (my clients inside range from age 4 to 17) are significant.
Sometimes Thai immigration allows detainees to be "bailed out" of IDC. To be granted bail, the detainee must pay 50,000 Baht (about 1500 USD) and find a Thai national who will act as their guarantor. Once bailed they are required to report regularly to immigration authorities.
So here's the thing... I need your money. =) If I raised enough money to bail out all of my kids-that would be fantastic. It is a sad thing to see children in prison, especially considering all that these kids have already gone through. More likely, I'll raise enough money to bail out only one or two of my clients. I already have a guarantor for my most vulnerable client, who has some urgent medical issues and whose ability to survive in IDC is most at risk. I have the guarantor, I don't have the 50,000 Baht*.
Over the last few years I have travelled a bit. I have exposed myself to many different people and places, and then, naturally, the problems and the suffering of those people in those places have made themself known to me. There are so many good "causes" out there to throw money at and so I am hesitant, most always, to ask people to give their money. But I am not hesitant today. I need your money to save a life, or at the very least change a life, or at the most basic level, to offer hope to these kids that they can have a life. Please consider donating to get these kids out of detention!
(*To be completely transparent: Bail can be revoked at any time. At the time bail is revoked, or once the detainee has left Thailand (through resettlement or repatriation, etc) the money posted for bail is returned to the person who paid it. While that could be 2 years into the future, the money will be returned to me at some point. As I'm sure you know, my dear friends, I have been advocating for the rights of refugees for the last 10 years or so-in one way or another. Whether the money is returned to me in 5 months or 5 years, I am positive I can find another impactful use for it to better the lives of refugees in Bangkok or elsewhere. If that doesn't suit you, alternative arrangements could be made. =) )
More information (though still limited-someone needs to properly cover this!) on the recent wave of arrests in Thailand and conditions in the Immigration Detention Center:
pakistani-christians-suffer-in-thailand-jail
Two Years With No Moon
http://www.realcourage.org/2015/03/thailand-appeal-for-mercy/
Organizer
Alissa Cooprider
Organizer
Salinas, CA
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