Wu Yuhua behind bars in Thailand. (Photo: ChinaAid)

ChinaAid

(Bangkok, Thailand—Aug. 30, 2018) ChinaAid is pleading with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to intervene on behalf of two UNHCR-approved refugees currently jailed in Thailand, who risk deportation back to China.

Yang Chong and his wife, Wu Yuhua, also known as Ai Wu, were seized by Thailand police yesterday as they attempted to gain a resettlement opportunity in New Zealand. Both Yang and Wu had previously received protection from the UNHCR as refugees because of their constant subjection to abuse under China’s Communist Party. They fled China years ago and have since been seeking resettlement in another country.

Yang Chong behind bars in Thailand. (Photo: ChinaAid)

Should Yang and Wu be returned to China, they face grave danger. In 2011, Yang began suffering detentions, arrests, repeated abductions, and persecution as a result of his political opinions and pro-democracy work. Wu’s activism began two years later, as she worked on behalf of human rights activists such as Liu Shaha, Liu Ping, and Hu Jia. She also visited Chen Guangcheng, the famed “barefoot lawyer” who was under house arrest for his human rights work, and was beaten and robbed. If they are deported, they will be subject to similar, if not more drastic, abuses.

ChinaAid urges the UNHCR to make good on its promise to protect these refugees and intervene on their behalf. Likewise, we call on Thai authorities to not deport Yang and Wu and allow them to remain in the country until they find a resettlement opportunity.