Desperate Pakistani Christians languish in Thailand

By Doug Bandow

BANGKOK ― The friendly, informal nation of Thailand draws visitors from around the world. Filling some backstreet Bangkok neighborhoods are impoverished Pakistani Christians, stranded in the Thai capital while hoping to gain religious asylum elsewhere. They survive with support from my friends at Christian Freedom International (CFI) ― which aids victims of religious persecution ― and other humanitarian groups.

The situation reflects the social and legal discrimination and persecution, often violent, against religious minorities in Pakistan. The Global Minorities Alliance noted, "An increase of attacks against minorities in Pakistan … has led to Christians heavy-heartedly fleeing their country," many to Thailand.

There's not much the U.S. government can do to ease Christians' plight in Pakistan, other than press Islamabad to protect the lives, dignity, and liberties of all its peoples. But Washington could accept the few thousand Pakistanis stuck in Bangkok, essentially people without a country. Even the Trump administration should welcome religious minorities fleeing Islamist oppression.

Pakistan long has been inhospitable to anyone other than Sunni Muslims. Open Doors ranked Pakistan as the world's No. five persecutor on its world watch list. The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom rated Pakistan a country of particular concern. The State Department put Pakistan on its "Special Watch List."

The British All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief recently detailed the awful state of religious liberty in Pakistan: "Pakistan presents a particularly bleak environment for individuals wishing to manifest their right to freedom of religion or belief. Across the country there are individual and communal cases of discrimination and oppression."

Umair Javed, a noted columnist for the Pakistani newspaper Dawn, said "Violence against minority groups is deeply embedded within political and social processes in Pakistan."

It is small wonder that many Pakistanis sought sanctuary elsewhere. I have talked with refugees now living in Bangkok and heard tragic stories of threats, attacks, hostility, and violence. Many were physically assaulted. Most had good reasons to flee.

A few years ago Thailand became a hoped-for way-station because the land of smiles was one of the few nations which permitted Pakistanis to enter as tourists. Moreover, the United Nations was present, having long certified Burmese fleeing persecution and conflict nearby as refugees. So Pakistani Christians hoped they could gain resettlement in the West, and especially America.

At one point there were an estimated 11,500 Pakistani Christians in Thailand, but it soon became evident that the country was no sanctuary. Even my short visits over time, aided by the CFI, highlighted the many challenges asylum seekers face.

The U.N. took months, even years, to interview Pakistani refugees. Thailand never ratified the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention and does not respect U.N. refugee designations. Pakistanis cannot legally work or purchase property.

Alas, the situation has worsened as the Thai government intensified efforts to find and arrest refugees. Detainees are stuck in overcrowded, squalid immigration detention centers. Some detainees end up in prisons, confined alongside hardened criminals.

The CFI aids Pakistani refugees in numerous ways, providing food and sundries to families, supporting a church focused on refugees' needs, visiting and bringing food to detainees, finding employment opportunities for adults, counseling family members, and running a school for children.

But the group can only assist a limited number of families. Need is dramatically greater than available resources, despite the CFI's best efforts.

Nevertheless, hope remains. The CFI's Wendy Wright relates stories of Pakistani refugees threatened at home who find spiritual growth and happiness among fellow believers. Pakistani expatriates who gain fulfillment serving their even more desperate countrymen and women. These brave souls fled utter darkness at home and now reflect God's light in another country.

The U.S. and other nations should encourage Bangkok to test alternatives to mass incarceration, such as bail coupled with ankle monitors and other forms of official supervision. Thailand also should consider creating official migrant housing and work opportunities, at least for religious refugees desiring to be resettled overseas.

Most important, Washington should reclaim its humanitarian heritage and take in Pakistanis currently stuck in Bangkok. The number is quite small. Having been persecuted, they are among the best candidates for U.S. citizenship, almost certain to appreciate their new home. Opening America's door, even only a crack, would help ease criticism of the administration for its ungenerous approach to refugees.

It is easy for people in wealthy industrialized nations to forget how blessed they are. They should allow Pakistani Christians stuck in Thailand to find new homes, to replace the one they gave up in their search for respect, safety and liberty.

Doug Bandow (chessset@aol.com) is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is the author of "Beyond Good Intentions: A Biblical View of Politics" and "Foreign Follies: America's New Global Empire."