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Malaysia Sun
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
Thailand: New Insurgent Attacks on Civilians Despite Pledge
(Bangkok, May 29, 2025) - Separatist insurgents in Thailand's southern border provinces should uphold their pledge and international legal obligations not to attack civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Barisan Revolusi Nasional (National Revolutionary Front or BRN) insurgents have frequently targeted civilians, both Thai Buddhists and Malay Muslims, since the outbreak of armed insurgency in January 2004. On May 5, 2025, the BRN issued a statement expressing regret for recent attacks. While reaffirming the right to self-determination for Malay Muslims, the armed separatist group said that it "has no policy of targeting civilians" and "remains committed to international human rights and humanitarian law." Human Rights Watch has repeatedly condemned BRN laws-of-war violations. "The BRN took an unprecedented step by publicly pledging not to target civilians, after terrorizing people in Thailand's deep south for more than two decades," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But a pledge is not enough. The BRN needs to stop committing war crimes ." There were 57 insurgent attacks in April, resulting in 18 deaths and 50 injuries from the Buddhist Thai and Malay Muslim populations in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces. On April 22, BRN insurgents shot dead Pongkorn Chumapan, 16, and wounded Pokanit Morasin, 12, in an attack on a pickup truck taking Buddhist monks and novices from Wat Kura temple to collect alms in Songkhla province's Sabayoi district. Pol. Lt. Wattanarom Chumapan, Pongkorn's father, told Human Rights Watch that his "son and his cousins were ordained as novices during their school break to study Buddhism and accumulate good karma. But they were targeted in this brutal attack." "I picked up my son, together with other novices and monks, from the temple to collect alms that morning," he said. "My pickup truck had just left the temple's gate when I heard gunshots coming from the roadside jungle. They sounded like M-16 assault rifles. I'm a police officer. I could tell." He said the bullets hit his son and another novice: "I grabbed my pistol and fired back at the two assailants until they retreated. I could see them escaping on a motorcycle, dressed as Muslim women and covering their faces." The BRN considers Buddhism emblematic of the Thai state's occupation of Malay Muslim territory. At least 23 Buddhist monks and novices have been killed and more than 30 injured during the conflict, most while collecting alms. Victims of the BRN's violence in May included teachers, police officers, older people, and children. On the morning of May 28, Pol. Sgt. Abdulloh Makaseng, 30, was shot dead when insurgents attacked the Chanae district police station in Narathiwat province. Later that day, insurgents opened fire into a community sport event in Narathiwat province's Tak Bai district, seriously wounding Muhammad Sukri Ha, 37, and Sainuddin Jehbueraheng, 34, both teachers. On May 2, in Chanae district, insurgents fatally shot Sa-Nga Saeng-Yoi, 76, a blind Buddhist Thai, and critically wounded her son while they were returning home from the hospital on a motorcycle. On the same day, in Tak Bai district, six insurgents opened fire with assault rifles into a Buddhist Thai neighborhood. They killed Sasita Jankong, 9, a Buddhist Thai, and two older relatives. Civilians have also been victims of BRN insurgents' indiscriminate shootings and bombings. The laws of war , applicable to the armed conflict in Thailand's southern border provinces, prohibit attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including reprisals, or attacks that fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians. Anyone who commits serious violations of the laws of war with criminal intent is responsible for war crimes . Abuses by both BRN insurgents and Thai authorities have long fed a cycle of violence and impunity, Human Rights Watch said. Phra Kru Kositasudabhorn, a prominent Buddhist monk and peace advocate from Pattani province, told Human Rights Watch that the April 22 attack on novices in Sabayoi district appeared to be in retaliation for the killing of an Islamic religious teacher, allegedly by Thai security forces, in Narathiwat province on April 18. "As long as that killing remains unresolved, Buddhist Thais will still be at risk," he said. "Buddhist novices and monks are especially vulnerable. Government officials should understand that insurgents use [state-sponsored] abuses and heavy-handed tactics to recruit new members and justify their violence." Claims by insurgents that attacks on civilians are lawful because the victims are part of the Thai state or that Islamic law, as they interpret it, has no justification under international law. The office of Sheikhul Islam, Thailand's central Islamic council, issued a statement on May 6, 2025, condemning the attacks on civilians "in the strongest terms" and stating that there is no justification for such heinous crimes, which are also serious religious offenses. Thai authorities have imposed special security legislation in the southern border provinces. Under the Executive Decree on Government Administration in Emergency Situations and under martial law, Thai security forces can arrest and hold suspected BRN members for up to 37 days without effective judicial oversight, which has led to deaths in military custody. On May 22, representatives of the Internal Security Operations Command, Region Four, which is responsible for counterinsurgency operations in the southern border provinces, told a Thai parliamentary committee that such arrests and detentions served as deterrence even when authorities did not have sufficient evidence to press charges. Jaringan Mangsa Dari Undang-Undang Darurat, a human rights group, reported at least 41 arbitrary arrest cases of Malay Muslims from January through April. The mother of Nasri Tugae, 22, told Human Rights Watch that her son was arrested under martial law on April 23: "Soldiers raided my house, accusing Nasri of being involved in the killing of a Buddhist novice [on April 22]. We tried to explain that my son was away on that day to apply for his passport in Yala province. But they did not listen." She said he was taken to Ingkayuth Camp in Pattani province for interrogation: "My son was scared when I told him that there were allegations about him all over social media, saying he was a murderer. My son was held for 26 days. Now he was released without charge. My son was treated unfairly. Where is justice? Something like this will only make Muslims trust officials less." There is an entrenched culture of impunity for state-sponsored abuses in the southern border provinces, Human Rights Watch said. There has been no successful prosecution of those responsible for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and torture of suspected BRN members. The 20-year statute of limitations of the Tak Bai crackdown, which left 85 dead and several hundred injured, ended in October 2024, preventing further legal action. "Insurgent atrocities and retaliatory government abuses have sowed distrust between the Thai Buddhist and Malay Muslim communities," Pearson said. "Both sides should end abuses, hold abusers accountable, and commit to respecting human rights as they negotiate an end to the conflict." Source: Human Rights Watch
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rights group says Pakistan steps up pressure on Afghans to return home where they risk persecution
ISLAMABAD (AP) — A leading rights group said on Wednesday that Pakistan's authorities have intensified pressure on Afghan refugees to go back to neighboring Afghanistan, where they risk persecution by the Taliban and face dire economic conditions. 'Pakistani officials should immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home and give those facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection,' said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch. 'The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan should prevent any reprisals against returning Afghans and reverse their abusive policies against women and girls,' she said. Pakistan set a March 31 deadline for the deportation of all foreigners living illegally in the country. Most of them are Afghans. The HRW appeal came a month after the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad said that Pakistan has stepped up arrests of Afghan citizens in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi for forced expulsion. However, Pakistan has dismissed the allegation by Kabul, saying that the authorities were only trying to facilitate conditions for the swift return of Afghans to their home country. More than 500,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have been living without papers in Pakistan, thousands of them waiting for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere. There are also around 1.45 million Afghan refugees, registered with the U.N. refugee agency, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country. Last July, Pakistan extended the stay of refugees registered with UNHCR until June, saying they won't be arrested or deported at least until the extension expires. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump paused American refugee programs for at least three months and since then, around 20,000 Afghans who were awaiting resettlement in Pakistan are now in limbo. Afghans waiting for relocation to the United States have also urged Trump to restore the refugee program to end their ordeal. HRW said in a statement that the human rights situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. 'Women and girls are banned from post primary education and denied a broad range of rights and freedoms. Human rights defenders, journalists, and former government personnel are at particular risk,' the group said. The statement also said that Afghans returning to their country struggle to survive amid Afghanistan's soaring unemployment rate, broken health care system and dwindling foreign assistance. Earlier this year, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also approved the March 31 deadline for the deportation of those Afghans awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments that have agreed to take them. 'Afghanistan is not safe for any forced refugee returns,' Pearson said, 'Countries that pledged to resettle at-risk Afghans should respond to the urgency of the situation in Pakistan and expedite those cases.' HRW said that Pakistan's Interior Ministry has also announced that Afghans without official residence documents, along with holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, must leave the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation. 'Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must leave by June 30,' it said. More than 800,000 Afghans have returned home or have been expelled by force from Pakistan since 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency that tracks migration. More than 70% of those returning to Afghanistan have been women and children, including girls of secondary school age and women who will no longer have access to education, according to HRW. The group said that 'Pakistani police have raided houses, beat and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. They have demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan."
Euronews
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Pakistan intensifies pressure on Afghan refugees, NGO warns
Pakistan has ramped up pressure on Afghan refugees to leave the country, despite serious risks of persecution and economic hardship under Taliban rule, according to a leading human rights organisation. Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged Islamabad on Wednesday to halt coercion against Afghan refugees and allow those at risk to seek protection. "Pakistani officials should immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home and give those facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection," said Elaine Pearson, HRW's Asia director. She also called on the Taliban authorities to 'prevent any reprisals against returning Afghans and reverse their abusive policies against women and girls.' Pakistan has set a 31 March deadline for the deportation of all undocumented foreigners, most of whom are Afghans. The HRW appeal comes amid mounting reports of arrests and forced deportations. The Afghan Embassy in Islamabad recently claimed that Pakistani authorities have stepped up arrests of Afghan citizens in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. However, Pakistan has denied these allegations, arguing that it is only working to facilitate the voluntary return of Afghans. Since the Taliban takeover in 2021, more than 500,000 Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan without legal documentation. Many have been waiting for resettlement in the US and other countries. Additionally, 1.45 million Afghan refugees are registered with the UN refugee agency, many of them having fled during the Soviet occupation of the country in the 1980s. Last July, Pakistan extended the stay of registered refugees until June, ensuring they would not face arrest or deportation until then. However, uncertainty persists for thousands, especially after US President Donald Trump suspended refugee resettlement programmes in January, leaving 20,000 Afghans stranded in Pakistan. Many of those awaiting relocation to the US have urged Washington to reinstate the programme. HRW has warned that conditions in Afghanistan have significantly worsened since the Taliban seized power in August 2021. "Afghanistan is not safe for any forced refugee returns," Pearson stressed, calling on countries that pledged to resettle at-risk Afghans to expedite their cases. HRW highlighted serious human rights concerns in Afghanistan, noting that the Taliban has banned post-primary education for women and girls. Human rights defenders, journalists, and former government employees also face repression under the regime. Since 2023, more than 800,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan or been forcibly expelled from Pakistan, according to the International Organisation for Migration. More than 70% of returnees have been women and children, including secondary school-aged girls and women who are now barred from education and work under Taliban rule. According to HRW, officers have 'raided houses, beat and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits" and "demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan'. Pakistan's Interior Ministry has ordered undocumented Afghans, including those with Afghan Citizen Cards, to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation. 'Afghans holding Proof of Registration cards must leave by 30 June,' the ministry said.
Al Arabiya
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Pakistan steps up pressure on Afghans to return home where they risk persecution
A leading rights group said on Wednesday that Pakistan's authorities have intensified pressure on Afghan refugees to go back to neighboring Afghanistan, where they risk persecution by the Taliban and face dire economic conditions. 'Pakistani officials should immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home and give those facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection,' said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at New York–based Human Rights Watch. ' The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan should prevent any reprisals against returning Afghans and reverse their abusive policies against women and girls.' Pakistan set a March 31 deadline for the deportation of all foreigners living illegally in the country. Most of them are Afghans. The HRW appeal came a month after the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad said that Pakistan has stepped up arrests of Afghan citizens in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi for forced expulsion. H owever, Pakistan has dismissed the allegation by Kabul, saying that the authorities were only trying to facilitate conditions for the swift return of Afghans to their home country. More than 500,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have been living without papers in Pakistan, thousands of them waiting for resettlement in the US and elsewhere. There are also around 1.45 million Afghan refugees registered with the UN refugee agency, most of whom fled during the 1979–1989 Soviet occupation of their country. Last July, Pakistan extended the stay of refugees registered with UNHCR until June, saying they won't be arrested or deported at least until the extension expires. In January, US President Donald Trump paused American refugee programs for at least three months, and since then, around 20,000 Afghans who were awaiting resettlement in Pakistan are now in limbo. Afghans waiting for relocation to the US have also urged Trump to restore the refugee program to end their ordeal. HRW said in a statement that the human rights situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. Women and girls are banned from post-primary education and denied a broad range of rights and freedoms. 'Human rights defenders, journalists, and former government personnel are at particular risk,' the group said. The statement also said that Afghans returning to their country struggle to survive amid Afghanistan's soaring unemployment rate, broken health care system, and dwindling foreign assistance. Earlier this year, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also approved the March 31 deadline for the deportation of those Afghans awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments that have agreed to take them. 'Afghanistan is not safe for any forced refugee returns,' Pearson said. 'Countries that pledged to resettle at-risk Afghans should respond to the urgency of the situation in Pakistan and expedite those cases.' HRW said that Pakistan's Interior Ministry has also announced that Afghans without official residence documents, along with holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, must leave the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation. 'Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must leave by June 30,' it said. More than 800,000 Afghans have returned home or have been expelled by force from Pakistan since 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration, a UN agency that tracks migration. More than seventy percent of those returning to Afghanistan have been women and children, including girls of secondary school age and women who will no longer have access to education, according to HRW. The group said that Pakistani police have raided houses, beat and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. They have demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan.
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Rights group says Pakistan steps up pressure on Afghans to return home where they risk persecution
A leading rights group said on Wednesday that Pakistan 's authorities have intensified pressure on Afghan refugees to go back to neighboring Afghanistan, where they risk persecution by the Taliban and face dire economic conditions. 'Pakistani officials should immediately stop coercing Afghans to return home and give those facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection,' said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at New York-based Human Rights Watch. 'The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan should prevent any reprisals against returning Afghans and reverse their abusive policies against women and girls,' she said. Pakistan set a March 31 deadline for the deportation of all foreigners living illegally in the country. Most of them are Afghans. The HRW appeal came a month after the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad said that Pakistan has stepped up arrests of Afghan citizens in Islamabad and nearby Rawalpindi for forced expulsion. However, Pakistan has dismissed the allegation by Kabul, saying that the authorities were only trying to facilitate conditions for the swift return of Afghans to their home country. More than 500,000 Afghans who fled the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021 have been living without papers in Pakistan, thousands of them waiting for resettlement in the United States and elsewhere. There are also around 1.45 million Afghan refugees, registered with the U.N. refugee agency, most of whom fled during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation of their country. Last July, Pakistan extended the stay of refugees registered with UNHCR until June, saying they won't be arrested or deported at least until the extension expires. In January, U.S. President Donald Trump paused American refugee programs for at least three months and since then, around 20,000 Afghans who were awaiting resettlement in Pakistan are now in limbo. Afghans waiting for relocation to the United States have also urged Trump to restore the refugee program to end their ordeal. HRW said in a statement that the human rights situation in Afghanistan has continued to deteriorate since the Taliban takeover in August 2021. 'Women and girls are banned from post primary education and denied a broad range of rights and freedoms. Human rights defenders, journalists, and former government personnel are at particular risk,' the group said. The statement also said that Afghans returning to their country struggle to survive amid Afghanistan's soaring unemployment rate, broken health care system and dwindling foreign assistance. Earlier this year, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had also approved the March 31 deadline for the deportation of those Afghans awaiting relocation to third countries unless their cases are swiftly processed by the governments that have agreed to take them. 'Afghanistan is not safe for any forced refugee returns,' Pearson said, 'Countries that pledged to resettle at-risk Afghans should respond to the urgency of the situation in Pakistan and expedite those cases.' HRW said that Pakistan's Interior Ministry has also announced that Afghans without official residence documents, along with holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, must leave the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation. 'Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must leave by June 30,' it said. More than 800,000 Afghans have returned home or have been expelled by force from Pakistan since 2023, according to the International Organization for Migration, a U.N. agency that tracks migration. More than 70% of those returning to Afghanistan have been women and children, including girls of secondary school age and women who will no longer have access to education, according to HRW. The group said that 'Pakistani police have raided houses, beat and arbitrarily detained people, and confiscated refugee documents, including residence permits. They have demanded bribes to allow Afghans to remain in Pakistan."
