Thai authorities should halt the imminent deportation of 26 ethnic Karen villagers to Myanmar and release them from immigration detention, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said

A press release issued yesterday said the villagers were among 28 people arrested on August 10 during a raid by district and forestry officials, along with Thai military personnel, at Ban Pa Deng village in Phetchaburi province’s Kaeng Krachan National Park.

Authorities said they were targeting people without proof of Thai citizenship. Two villagers were later released after officials verified their residence registration records, while the remaining 26 were transferred to Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center for prosecution on immigration charges and deportation to Myanmar.

“Deporting ethnic Karen villagers to Myanmar would put them at risk of grave danger,” HRW Asia Director Elaine Pearson said.

HRW said the deportations could violate Thailand’s obligations under the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to places where they face a genuine risk of persecution, torture or other serious harm.

The rights group said ethnic Karen communities have lived in the area for generations, predating the establishment of Kaeng Krachan National Park.

HRW urged Thai authorities to ensure the Karen’s access to their ancestral lands and end the “abusive treatment of the community”.