Showing 1 - 10 of 16
Time to solve Uighur saga
Oped, Editorial, Published on 24/02/2023
» The death of Aziz Abdullah, a Uighur detainee at Bangkok's Immigration Detention Centre, is the epitome of the government's mishandling of those escaping China's southwestern Xinjiang region as well as the Muslim minority group's long-forgotten plight on Thai soil.
Aussie ties out of the woods, raring to go
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 27/09/2022
» 'Thais that bind: secret mission ends Aussie's torment," read the front page headline of The Australian on Nov 22, 2020. It was referring to Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert, the British-Australian academic arrested in late 2018 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as she was about to leave Tehran over an espionage charge. She was subsequently sentenced to 10 years in jail in a secret trial.
Last days of the Old Middle East
Oped, Gwynne Dyer, Published on 18/09/2020
» President Donald Trump declared "the dawn of a new Middle East" in Washington on Tuesday as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed public agreements with Israel for the first time.
Refugee status must be respected
News, Published on 23/05/2019
» On May 10, Thai activist Praphan Pipithnamporn was extradited from Malaysia to Thailand, arriving home to face charges of sedition in accordance with the draconian Section 116. This forcible repatriation by Malaysian authorities occurred despite Ms Praphan having already registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and subsequently being determined to be a "person of concern". Such actions by Malaysia must be considered nothing short of refoulement -- returning someone to a country where they are likely to be subject to persecution.
Weigh strength of ties in face-offs over extradition
News, Published on 09/03/2019
» Two major multinational cases involving extradition requests concluded in recent weeks.
Why Hakeem al-Araibi matters
News, Published on 04/03/2019
» Only recently, Thailand became the focus of global attention when a decision was taken to release Hakeem al-Araibi from administrative detention and allow his return to Australia. The case galvanised the world and challenged Thailand's relationship with Australia, Bahrain, Fifa, and international law. It captured front-page headlines, innervated human rights advocates, and ignited a ground-up movement across the world of international football.
The lack of refugee policy
News, Editorial, Published on 19/02/2019
» Thailand has been at the centre of asylum and refugee disputes since the year began. But in the past six weeks, what has emerged is not a pretty picture. A young Saudi woman won world Twitter backing and a ticket to Canada. A Bahraini refugee from Australia won freedom for a second time with inventive diplomacy. Now three of the seven Uighur migrants who escaped detention at the Mukdahan Immigration office have "won" a police manhunt and a legal limbo where extradition back to China is their No.1 likely future.
Araibi case: own goals all round
Asia focus, Erich Parpart, Published on 11/02/2019
» The contention that Thailand would not have been involved in the controversial case of Hakeem al-Araibi had it not received a red alert notice from Australian Interpol sounded ridiculous when I first heard it. Why would Australia issue an arrest warrant for a person it had granted asylum to?
Justice system still shackled by politics
News, Surasak Glahan, Published on 07/02/2019
» Has Thailand been caught between a rock and a hard place over the extradition case of detained Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi, who holds refugee status in Australia but is wanted by Bahrain for alleged vandalism?
Overlooking Araibi's rights
News, Editorial, Published on 02/02/2019
» As it requested the Criminal Court to proceed with extraditing Bahraini footballer Hakeem al-Araibi to Manama yesterday, the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG) sent a message to the international community that it would rather entertain Bahrain's request than follow international principles on refugee treatment.