On August 17th, I visited the Immigration Detention Center at Bang Kehn, Bangkok.
A week earlier, CFAM received the information that Mr. Noman Riaz (a Pakistani asylum seeker in Thailand) had been detained for overstaying since last May. After discussing the matter, we decided to go to the IDC to meet with Mr. Noman.
Initially, our intention was to provide encouragement to him, as he was in a poor condition at the IDC. We brought along some basic daily foods for his comfort, such as bread, instant noodle soup, snacks, and more. Additionally, we aimed to gather more information not only about his situation but also about other inmates. This would enable us to take more concrete actions to support those who are facing difficulties.
As I arrived at the entrance of the IDC, I noticed the following notices:
There was an interphone at the gate, but despite my repeated attempts, there was no response. Therefore, all I could do was wait, hoping that someone from inside would eventually open the gate for some reason.
Fortunately, after 15 minutes, an officer (not in uniform) emerged, allowing me to have a conversation with him. Although I wasn’t permitted to enter, they did accept the bag of food I brought. (Later, we confirmed with Mr. Noman that the food bag had reached him without any issues.)
So the mission for that day concluded here, to some extent.
The barbed wires surrounding the building serve as a reminder that this is a prison.
The only means of securing release from the IDC is by applying for bail (set at 50,000 THB), but the process typically takes over 6 months.
We are looking for a church sponsorship for two brothers who are in IDC
Conversely, an alternative avenue exists: an illicit method involving under-the-table payments, which is, of course, illegal. A particular local lawyer can engage in negotiations with the officers for this arrangement, incurring an additional cost of 70,000 THB (making it a total of 120,000 THB).
This is not an individual act but a well-organized operation. Such corruption is not a shocking revelation in this country. In other words, it’s their secondary business. Thus far, numerous asylum seekers have found their way out of the IDC with significant assistance from supporters abroad. One can now comprehend that these officers’ focus isn’t solely on impoverished asylum seekers but also on affluent Christian supporters.
So the key takeaway is that paying bonds for them doesn’t ultimately resolve this problem. This issue is too vast to be managed solely by us.
We need divine intervention and mercy from our God in this matter.
Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”
(Exodus 33:19 NKJV)