TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) called on Friday (March 31) for international attention to be directed to the dire situation of China's Mayflower Church refugees stranded in Thailand, who were forcibly moved to a local immigrant detention center a day earlier.
A church group fleeing religious persecution in China and seeking asylum in Thailand since the summer of 2022 was picked up by local immigration officials, following a tip off to the Beijing authorities about their whereabouts. The group comprises 63 people from 16 families, including 35 children.
The group has remained in Thailand for nearly a year, despite the Chinese state security apparatus threatening their safety on a daily basis, according to ChinaAid. The U.S.-based human rights organization, which promotes religious freedom, provides legal assistance to the Guangzhou-based church.
ChinaAid Founder and President, Bob Fu (傅希秋) said in an interview with RFA that the United Nations and the U.S. government should help relocate church members to a safer place. This incident graphically illustrates the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) global overreach and ceaseless persecution of religious faith, he said.
"That would be a human rights disaster and a massive shame if these families were repatriated to China," Fu added.
Sam Brownback, former U.S ambassador at-large for international religious freedom, also tweeted his concern on Thursday after learning the news, urging the Thai government to release the families immediately. "The Thai government will be issuing a virtual death sentence if members of the Mayflower Church are deported to China."
Taiwan's Legislative Speaker You Si-kun on Friday expressed his concern on Facebook, calling for the plight of church members to receive international attention and for rescue actions to be carried out "before it is too late."
"It is undoubtedly a deliberate provocation as China opted to carry out transnational repression when the U.S. President Joe Biden's second Summit for Democracy is taking place," You's post read.
In the same post, You called out ex-President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is on a controversial visit to China. He said Ma should call on the Chinese authorities to stop persecuting church members overseas and forcing them to go back to China.
