Y Quynh Bdap (32), a Christian leader in Vietnam, fled to Thailand in 2018 due to persecution for his faith. Bdap has since sought asylum in Thailand.
Bdap is part of the Montagnard minority community in Vietnam, a predominantly Christian ethnic group that lives in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and Cambodia. The Montagnards have long faced harassment, persecution, and arrests by Vietnamese officials who crack down on church groups not sanctioned by the government. Vietnam allows some semblance of religion in the form of tightly controlled registered religious groups.
“During one visit, we saw dozens and dozens of Montagnard Christian families living in very basic and harsh conditions while waiting for years in Thailand, hoping for resettlement,” an ICC staffer said. “We met with Montagnard pastors and church leaders who were doing their best to strengthen their people spiritually through Bible studies and small group fellowships. Despite the extreme challenges in Thailand, they are still faithful and hopeful. But help is desperately needed for these Christian refugees.”
A Thai court in Fall 2024 ordered Bdap, 32, to be extradited to Vietnam to face charges and a 10-year sentence for alleged terrorist and anti-Communist government activities tied to protests in June 2023 in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government made the unusual extradition request to Thai officials even though Bdap was not in Vietnam during the protests.
“If extradited to Vietnam, Bdap will likely face torture, violence, and imprisonment. It looks like the Thai court is caving to pressure from the Vietnamese Communist Party to extradite him. This will set a dangerous precedent for the thousands of other Christian refugees in Thailand who could also be extradited to their home country, where they fled persecution,” reported a staff member of International Christian Concern in the region.
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