<p>An anti-junta journalist who fled the country to the US shortly after the 2014 coup d’état has been granted official refugee status. &nbsp;</p> <p>On 13 July 2017, Jom Petchpradab, a veteran journalist now living in self-exile in the US, posted on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155454187128965&amp;set=a.132094058964.106540.678858964&amp;type=3&amp;theater">his Facebook account</a>&nbsp;that he has been granted official refugee status from the US government.</p>

<p>Policies and practices developed by ASEAN member states in managing refugee crisis are mostly marked by their changeable, ad-hoc, and optional characteristics. Since most of them are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol, any policies and practices that do emerge are not necessarily obligatory and compliance is not guaranteed. Moreover, they tend to endorse the national interests, particularly in terms of domestic security and development, rather than to prioritize the interest and destiny of refugees.</p>

<p dir="ltr">On 25 January 2017, Chumphon Court schedules for evidence and witness examination trial between public prosecutor (Plaintiff) and Mr. Song Zhiyu (Defendant), the mechanical design engineer and computer programmer, on charges under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522 (1979), despite the fact that Mr. Song has been recognized by UNHCR Thailand as a genuine refugee, who should enjoy international protection.</p>

<div>A human rights organization admired Thailand for upholding principles to protect children fleeing from countries in conflict after a court ruled in favor of a Somali child who fled to Thailand illegally.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img alt="" src="https://scontent.fbkk5-6.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15073553_1890032587893610_5528855655176760630_n.jpg?oh=339ad905699ad747d6ea25adae87e323&amp;oe=58C3F903" /></div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><span>Photo cour </span></div>

<p>The Thai authorities have allegedly deported two Chinese activists in self-imposed exile who are registered as refugees by the UN back to China. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>According to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/china-release-jiang-yefei-and-dong-guangping-ua-25915">Amnesty International (AI)</a>, Jiang Yefei and Dong Guangping, two Chinese activists who fled from China to Thailand, are currently at grave danger of ill-treatment and torture after the Thai authorities deported them back to China between 12 and 16 November 2015.</p>

<div>Since 2006, Thailand has been plagued with an unending storm of political conflict. Political thought is divided on nearly every single issue; from former Prime Minister Thaksin’s reign, the monarchical institution, nation development, democracy, elections, reform, politicians, political parties and so forth. The 22 May 2014 coup has exacerbated Thailand’s political situation. Activists, politicians, and even ordinary citizens branded as “ideologically hardcore” were left with no choice but to flee the country in self-imposed exile.&nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>The boat people from the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh has become a hot potato among the Southeast Asian countries.&nbsp;Prachatai talked with Vivian Tan, the spokesperson of the the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Regional Office in Bangkok, about the role of UNHCR in the issue. &nbsp;</div> <p></p>

<div>&nbsp;</div> <div> <div>Kritsuda Khunasen, a red-shirt activist who in June was illegally detained by the junta for more than 20 days under suspicious circumstances, has left Thailand and is now seeking political asylum in Europe.&nbsp;</div> <div>&nbsp;</div> </div> <div>&nbsp;</div> <div><img alt="" src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2925/14613401139_51a564a252_o.png" /></div> <div><span>Kritsuda Khunasen (mid) appears at the Crime Suppression Division on 24 June</span></div> <div> </div>

<div> <div><br />Ian Hollingworth, a member of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign in Thailand, interviewed one Palestinian refugee to shed more light on the situation they face.</div> <div> </div></div>

<p>The Karen Women Organization is urgently appealing to the Royal Thai Government not to forcibly repatriate over 3,000 Karen refugees staying in Tha Song Yang, Tak Province, back to a heavily land-mined war-zone in Burma. The majority of the refugees are women and children.</p>

<p>Following the demands from the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus on humanitarian aid for new refugees who arrived in Tha Song Yang district of Tak Province since early June, and the expression of concerns from the network of Thai non-governmental organizations regarding the increase in forced repatriation, restriction of humanitarian aid, access to education, and the lack of a clear, proper and up-to-date refugee management measures,</p>