A group of exiled Chinese Christians, who feared persecution if they were despatched again to China, arrived safely within the United States. Refund had been detained for overstaying their visas in Thailand, where that they had been attempting to arrange formal passage to the US. The group arrested included 63 members of China’s Mayflower Church.
The group believed that Chinese authorities agents had been behind a push to seek out and arrest them for overstaying their visas in an try and return them to China, Radio Free Asia reported. They have been afraid that if they returned to China, they would be tortured and face pressured disappearances due to their spiritual views, based on activists and non secular groups working with the exiles.
The activists said that an anonymous tip led to the group’s arrest in Pattaya on March 30. The activists added that the exiles had no desire to break Thailand’s laws and have been solely on overstay due to current guidelines for Chinese nationals that require a go to to their embassy for any visa renewal. The activist groups claimed this was impossible as they believed the moment the exiles entered the embassy, they’d be forced to return to China.
After their arrest for overstaying, Thai authorities met with the United Nations refugee agency UNHCR and the American Embassy to work collectively to safely send the group to the United States.
Radio Free Asia‘s Mandarin Service confirmed that fifty nine of the 63 Chinese nationals left Thailand on Thursday (April 6) after their detention. Meanwhile, a family of 4 selected to stay in Thailand, though it was not clear why or what the next steps had been for this household.
The American embassy in Bangkok declined to remark, in accordance with Benar News. However, the activists and religious groups who’ve been working with the Chinese exiles, confirmed that the group had safely arrived in Texas. The exiles are expected to affix a US faction of the Mayflower Church and be given particular permission to remain within the United States as refugees.
Earlier this year, Assistant Commissioner of Police Surachet Hakparn, also called “Big Joke,” met with New Jersey Republican Chris Smith who chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China throughout a go to to Washington DC. Hakparn asked Thai officers to deal with the Chinese Christians and supply them with security..