HRW, APHR Warn Thailand Over Karen Deportation
HRW, APHR Warn Thailand Over Karen Deportation
BANGKOK — Aug. 21, 2026: The ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) and Human Rights Watch (HRW) have urged Thailand to immediately halt plans to deport 26 ethnic Karen people to Myanmar, warning that their forced return could violate international law and expose them to serious risks under Myanmar’s military rule.
The groups called for the 26 people to be released from immigration detention and given access to legal protection procedures, citing the international principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face persecution or serious danger.
They also cited Thailand’s obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture and Thai domestic law.
The 26 people were detained following a joint operation on Aug. 10 involving Thai military personnel, forestry officials and local authorities at Ban Pa Deng village in Kaeng Krachan National Park, Phetchaburi province, according to the rights groups.
Authorities initially detained 28 villagers, including eight children and two pregnant women, during checks targeting residents without Thai nationality documents. Two were later released after their nationality was verified, while the remaining 26 were transferred to the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok pending deportation procedures.
APHR Chair Mercy Chriesty Barends, an Indonesian lawmaker, said returning the group, including children and pregnant women, could put their lives at risk.
Former Thai foreign minister and APHR board member Kasit Piromya also criticised the planned deportation, saying Thailand should not welcome Myanmar’s military leadership while subsequently returning civilians who had fled the military regime.
The groups urged Thailand to stop the deportation process, establish a mechanism to assess protection claims and demonstrate a stronger commitment to human rights ahead of the United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review of Thailand scheduled for November.
The case comes amid continued international concern over conditions in Myanmar following the military coup and the ongoing conflict between the military and armed opposition groups.
APHR and HRW said Thailand should ensure that those facing return are properly assessed for protection before any deportation is carried out.
