DEFENDING
DEMOCRACY IN EXILE
Policy Responses to
Transnational Repression
CASE STUDY
Thailand
F
or decades, Thailand has served as a haven for people escaping war and political repression in
countries throughout Southeast Asia and the broader region. However, protection for individuals
from foreign governments in Thailand is limited and ad hoc. Thailand’s authorities lack awareness
about the threat of transnational repression and cooperate with foreign governments to detain and
expel dissidents. The country has no national system in place to screen for and protect refugees and
its approach to extradition is influenced by informality and a high degree of executive discretion.
Best practices in Thailand’s response to transnational repression:
•
The government of Thailand works with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) to manage refugees and asylum seekers. For states that have not yet acceded to
international refugee conventions nor developed a robust internal refugee management system,
involving UNHCR helps international norms and standards permeate the domestic sphere. Though
UNHCR refugee designations do not have full legal power in Thailand and cannot always influence
refoulement processes, they can still serve as a deterrent to unlawful deportation.
•
Thailand’s government is sometimes responsive to pressure exerted by civil society on behalf
of individuals targeted by transnational repression.
Thailand is an important
destination for refugees
from neighboring
countries, but asylum
seekers lack legal status.
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