A Canada-bound refugee mission ended at Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centre instead of Vancouver. Now opposition MPs warn Thailand faces legal and diplomatic consequences if Hong Kong activist Zhang Xinyan is deported to China.
Thailand faces mounting political and international pressure after authorities stopped Hong Kong democracy activist Zhang Xinyan from boarding a refugee flight to Canada and instead detained her in Bangkok, prompting opposition MPs to accuse the government of violating both Thai law and international legal principles. The case has become a major test for Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s administration, with warnings that deporting Ms Zhang to China could breach anti-torture legislation, deepen diplomatic tensions and place Thailand’s refugee policies under intense international scrutiny.
Members of the opposition People’s Party have urged the government to release Hong Kong democracy activist Zhang Xinyan and allow her to travel to Canada under a refugee resettlement agreement. They argue her continued detention risks breaching both Thai law and established international legal principles.
The call followed Ms Zhang’s detention at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre after Thai authorities stopped her from boarding a Canada-bound flight. According to the opposition, Canada had already accepted her application for refugee resettlement before the intervention.
On Friday, People’s Party list MP Mr Sorasak Somrakraisornkit issued a detailed statement condemning the government’s actions. In response, he called for Ms Zhang’s immediate release and urged authorities to stop obstructing her departure. He also accused the government of violating international law.
People’s Party says Thailand blocked Canada’s refugee transfer and exposed activist to deportation risk
According to Mr Sorasak, Thai authorities prevented Ms Zhang from boarding her flight on July 9. Afterwards, immigration officials detained the 55-year-old activist on charges of overstaying her visa. He argued the decision blocked her final opportunity to reach safety through a recognised resettlement process.
Moreover, Mr Sorasak warned the detention exposed Ms Zhang to possible deportation to China. He said such an outcome carried serious legal implications because Hong Kong authorities have already declared her a national security suspect. They have also offered a HK$200,000 bounty for information leading to her arrest.
According to the statement, Ms Zhang is a Chinese democracy activist and a member of the overseas-based Hong Kong Parliament. She is among a group of campaigners living outside Hong Kong after leaving the territory or mainland China. Many are now wanted under Hong Kong’s Beijing-imposed National Security Law.
Mr Sorasak argued Thailand’s actions represented a serious departure from accepted humanitarian principles. Furthermore, he said they conflicted with established international legal norms governing the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers.
MP says non-refoulement and Thailand’s anti-torture law bar any deportation of Zhang to China now
Central to his argument was the principle of non-refoulement. He said the principle now forms part of customary international law through widespread and consistent state practice. Therefore, he argued it binds every country regardless of whether it has signed the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.
Under international human rights law, he said individuals must not be returned to places where persecution or torture is likely. Consequently, he argued using immigration offences to prevent a recognised refugee reaching a safe third country ignored those protections entirely.
Mr Sorasak also relied heavily on Thai domestic legislation. Specifically, he cited Section 13 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act 2022. The law prohibits state agencies from deporting anyone where reasonable grounds exist to believe torture or serious human rights violations may occur.
According to the statement, the warrant issued against Ms Zhang and the bounty offered for her capture clearly satisfy that threshold. He therefore argued any deportation to China would directly conflict with Thailand’s own legislation.
Opposition says Zhang case risks harming Thailand’s global standing and rights reputation abroad
Separately, Mr Sorasak warned the case could carry diplomatic consequences beyond the individual detention. He referred to previous deportations of Uyghur refugees to China and the prolonged detention of Uyghurs at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre. Those cases, he argued, had already attracted sustained international criticism.
He said preventing Ms Zhang from travelling despite Canada’s acceptance of her resettlement would reinforce concerns over Thailand’s refugee policy. As a result, he argued the country’s international credibility could face further damage.
The People’s Party MP then issued four specific demands to the government. First, he called for Ms Zhang’s immediate release and her uninterrupted transfer to Canada. He urged authorities not to take any action that could result in her deportation to China.
Second, he called for an end to using immigration legislation against asylum seekers awaiting protection. He argued refugees should not automatically be treated as illegal immigrants while waiting for resettlement.
People’s Party demands stronger legal protection and temporary status for refugees awaiting resettlement
Third, he demanded strict enforcement of Section 13 of the anti-torture legislation. He said authorities must prevent any deportation exposing asylum seekers to imprisonment, torture or threats to life.
Finally, he urged the government to establish legal mechanisms granting temporary status and residence to refugees awaiting transfer to third countries. He said such measures would provide legal certainty for people unable to return safely to their countries of origin.
Mr Sorasak concluded by urging the government to release Ms Zhang immediately. He warned Thailand should not become, in his words, “a tool for transnational repression”.
Meanwhile, human rights organisations have also expressed concern over the case. Human Rights Watch Thailand senior adviser Sunai Phasuk confirmed Ms Zhang is being held at Bangkok’s Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre. He warned earlier that any forced return to China could expose her to serious danger.
Ms Zhang, 55, is a Chinese national who has spent years living in exile. According to Human Rights Watch, she moved to Thailand in 2014 after fleeing persecution linked to her involvement with Falun Gong. The spiritual movement remains banned by the Chinese government.
Refugee status followed years of exile after passport revocation and persecution by China
Later, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand confiscated and revoked her passport when she attempted to renew it. As a result, she was left without valid travel documents. However, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees recognised her refugee status in 2016.
Notably, Ms Zhang is among 19 overseas activists named in arrest warrants issued by Hong Kong police in July 2025. The warrants accuse them of subversion under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. Rewards ranging from HK$200,000 to HK$1 million were announced for information leading to their arrests.
Earlier this year, Thai immigration police arrested Ms Zhang on charges of overstaying her visa and working without permission. Afterwards, immigration authorities transferred her to detention while deportation procedures were prepared.
At the time, Mr Sunai warned any forced return could breach both international legal principles and Thailand’s Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act. He also said Ms Zhang faced serious risks if returned to Chinese custody.
If deported, Ms Zhang could become the first activist wanted under Hong Kong’s National Security Law to be returned and imprisoned. That possibility has intensified international attention on the case.
Canadian refugee mission progressed until Thai authorities stopped Zhang boarding a scheduled flight
In parallel, efforts to secure her resettlement continued behind the scenes. After her detention on May 7, Ms Zhang contacted Canada-based independent journalist Sheng Xue. Ms Sheng then coordinated international efforts supporting her transfer to Canada.
At the same time, Yuan Gongyi, founder of the Hong Kong exile parliament, arranged legal assistance for Ms Zhang in Thailand. The campaign then moved through established refugee resettlement procedures.
Subsequently, officials from the Canadian embassy in Bangkok interviewed Ms Zhang. They also completed medical examinations and biometric procedures required for resettlement. According to Ms Sheng, Canadian officials then booked her flight from Bangkok to Vancouver on July 8.
However, Thai authorities prevented Ms Zhang from boarding before the scheduled departure. Instead, she was taken into immigration detention, bringing the resettlement process to an abrupt halt.
Activist fears forced return as dispute deepens tensions over Thailand’s treatment of political exiles
Writing on social media platform X, Ms Sheng said friends had planned to welcome Ms Zhang in Vancouver. “My friends and I had originally planned to go to Vancouver to celebrate Zhang Xinyan’s rescue,” she wrote.
“Little did we expect that, at the final step of implementing the international humanitarian rescue, Thai authorities suddenly reneged under pressure from the CCP and intercepted her,” Ms Sheng added.
She also described Ms Zhang’s growing fears following the failed departure. “She is deeply worried that she will be forcibly repatriated in the coming days,” Ms Sheng wrote.
“Once repatriated, she will face extremely brutal persecution by the CCP regime,” she added.
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The case now places Thailand’s handling of refugee resettlement under renewed scrutiny. It also raises immediate questions over whether Ms Zhang will remain in detention, be allowed to travel to Canada, or face deportation proceedings under Thai immigration law.
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Further reading:
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