EVEN AS THAILAND promised to continue providing protection to more than 102,000 refugees in the country, human rights activists and advocates urged the Thai government to live up to that commitment, including ending detentions and the forcible return of refugees. At Government House yesterday, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha held discussions with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), during his visit to the Asia Pacific. “Thailand has taken care of refugees well,” Prayut was quoted as telling Grandi, by Deputy Government Spokesperson Lt-General Werachon Sukhondhapatipak. Prayut also thanked the UNHCR for cooperation over its treatment of refugees from CLMV countries. The statement was signed by 13 non-governmental organisations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Save the Children, and International Federation for Human Rights.

Source: The Nation Bangkok July 07, 2017 18:00 UTC