Southeast Asian lawmakers condemn deportation of Cambodian activists
Cambodian flag Source: Wikipedia
MANILA, Philippines — A group of progressive lawmakers from different legislatures in Southeast Asia condemned the deportation of Cambodian human rights activists from Thailand.
Last Nov. 24, the Thai government forcibly returned activists Pen Chan Sangkream, Hong An, Mean Chanthon, Yin Chanthou, Soeung Khunthea and Vorn Chan Rahana back to Cambodia.
In a statement on Saturday, the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) called the deportation order a “flagrant violation of international law.”
Asean stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a political and economic union of the region’s ten states including the Philippines.
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Article continues after this advertisementAPHR pointed to a principle from the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees prohibiting returning individuals to a country where they may face persecution.
Article continues after this advertisementThe organization stressed that Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet “has continued a longstanding campaign of systematic repression against human rights defenders, journalists, and opposition figures.”
Former Thai foreign minister Kasit Piromya, who is a board member of the APHR, reported that the individuals were now detained in three separate prisons in Cambodia.
He said, “This is not just a devastating blow to their families but a stark failure of Asean’s commitment to human rights.”
Meanwhile, co-chairperson Mercy Chriesty Barends urged: “APHR urgently calls on the Thai government to reverse this alarming action, cease the deportation of political refugees, and fulfill its obligations under international human rights law.”
APHR co-chairperson Charles Santiago added, “Asean must adopt robust measures to protect human rights defenders, civil society activists, and journalists, ensuring they can freely express their views without fear of state retaliation.”
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Barends is a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, while Santiago is a former member of the Parliament of Malaysia.
APHR concluded, “By enabling such transnational repression, Thailand has abdicated its responsibility to uphold international human rights standards.”
“This deportation reflects a broader, disturbing trend of transnational repression in Southeast Asia, where authoritarian regimes increasingly cooperate to target and silence critics across borders,” it added.
