In a brave show of solidarity Pakistani Christian asylum seekers of Bangkok gathered outside the German Embassy in Thailand, determined to sow seeds of
hope and peace after the brutal terrorist attack in Munich, Germany that killed 12 people.
Only days ago on 20th December 2016, 12 innocent visitors to a Christmas market in Munich, were brutally slain by a lorry that drove into them at high speed.
On Thursday 22nd December emboldened by a visit by the Chairman of British Pakistani Christian Association, Wilson Chowdhry, Pak-Christians from across
Thailand gathered to share a time of prayer and reflection.
For many of those gathered it was the first time a large cluster of their community had gathered on public streets, during their unforgiving tenure
as UNHCR registered asylum seekers in Thailand. Meeting in large groups draws attention and could lead to the arrest of asylum seekers culminating
in long term incarceration within the brutal Immigration Detention Centres of Thailand. So meetings such as these are rare occasions.
Thailand is not a signatory to international UN Conventions for Asylum and determine that asylum seekers are illegal visa overstayers even with UNHCR
registration cards.
Watch BBC Documentary (click here)
Sign our petition
(click here)
Kathriya Louis, BPCA lead officer for Thailand, said:
“We cannot stay silent we must speak out against these atrocities. When we choose to ignore the plight of others we are only serving to embolden extremists and in the long term we all will suffer.”
Whilst the vigil was underway a local police officer came to investigate what to him seemed like a disturbance. This led to the quick exit of many of the participants fearful after a recent spate of arrests (click here). However after Wilson Chowdhry explained the purpose of the vigil the police officer joined to show solidarity. Thailand itself has suffered several bomb attacks related to Islamic extremism (click here) and (here).
Emboldened by the reaction of the police an embassy employee joined the vigil and received the flowers from the BPCA, agreeing to deliver them to the German Ambassador with a short note of condolence and support.
German Embassy employee receives flowers from BPCA vigil while police officer takes his own pictures.
A french lady who noted the vigil, joined us, she said:
“I was profoundly moved, that despite the hardships encountered by our Pakistani brothers and sisters in Christ, they were compelled to brave the night and show their solidarity. I just had to join in.”
Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association, said:
“The Pak-Christian asylum seeker community in Thailand suffer greatly in their chosen place of safety, worse still, they are victims of extremism in their homeland the likes of which people in the west simply cannot fathom.
“Despite having to cope with their own anguish and pain they had a strong desire to show solidarity with the victims of the heinous violence in Germany. Innocent people died in these attacks leaving family members mourning at a time that should be full of joy.
“In the growing intensity and frequency of Islamic extremism, Christians and people of the west will have to prepare for even more attacks near the time of our festivals. As the largest faith in the world we have become the number one target for these fundamentalists.
He added:
“Christian asylum seekers are able to absorb western culture with great zeal, mainly due to the historic link to Christianity within all facets of
our culture, such as in our laws, traditions and art. As such Christians pose little threat to our communities and actually fear the same extremism
that we fear especially as most have faced it first hand.
“Despite growing evidence that Christians are increasingly persecuted in Islamic nations, very few Christian asylum seekers are gaining asylum in western
nations. In my opinion, I believe a conversation is needed in all western countries about whether Christians should be prioritized for asylum. Christians
have nowhere else to go they find themselves re-persecuted in Buddhist, Hind and Muslim nations.
“Moreover the increasing figures of Muslim asylum seekers involved in acts of extremism suggests that dialogue should be initiated with stable Islamic
nations such as Indonesia and Malaysa who should be taking a greater responsibility with regards to a growing asylum seeker community able to assimilate
easily in their nations which hold favourable ideologies.”
A 100,000 Euro reward has been set for information relating to the arrest of the man determined to be responsible for the Munich Attack. Details of this can be found by clicking (here)
BPCA paid for all associated costs for the protest including travel fares for the vigil guests. We help Pakistani Christians survive the harsh realities of their unaccepted asylum status in Thailand. If you would like to donate to our aid work which includes the establishment of underground schools for children, shelter and food for victims, bail fees for arrested visa overstayers and much more then please click
(here)
