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Today i made a quite strange experience in Bangkok at the IDC - Immigration Detention Centre in downtown Bangkok. Thailand put refugees without valid passport/visa from any country into the jail of the Immigration Detention Center in downtown Bangkok.
There are whole families as well as children with the age of about 9 or 10 years old (this is what i have seen there today, in June 2010). They also separate the families. The only chance for them to meet the beloved ones is if some people from outside the jail visit them. For each prisoner there must be one visitor. Visitors and imprisoned people meet in an area inside the prison, so the families can meet there and they are distracted from the everydays live in prison for one hour.
Note: the people jailed in th IDC are not criminals. No court sentenced them because of any criminal act.
A more committed lawyer from the US, Troy Anderson (who also is the founder of Speakupforthepoor ) try to get contact to the imprisoned everyday. You may get a glimpse when you give http://speakupblog.typepad.com/speak_up/refugees/ a visit.
There is a loose group. They know the names of the refugees and organize to visit them. They are happy about everyone join them. There can never be enough people donate some time, a few hours.
Monday and Wednesday they meet up at 09:00 am opposite the IDC...
I will quote some useful information from here for those who want to help:
"YOU MUST HAVE A VALID PASSPORT & VALID VISA OR NON-EXPIRED 30 DAY TOURIST STAMP IN YOU PASSPORT.
BRING YOUR PASSPORT
You will need a copy of your passport photo page & visa/tourist stamp page with the white exit form. Copies can be made for 2baht across the street from the IDC.
Immigration Detention Center (IDC)
507 Soi Suan Plu (Sathorn Soi 3)
Sathorn Tai Road
(about 600 meters down from Sathorn - across from Suan Plu Soi 5)
for a map & detailed directions check out this site:
http://www.immigration.go.th/nov2004/en/base.php?page=location
Gives directions to Immigration Bureau (IDC is behind)
Coffee shop across street is UR Station
Meet at UR Station Coffee Shop at 9:00.
This is on the corner of Soi Suan Plu & Suan Plu Soi 5.
The owner is Kuhn Supraporn.
The coffee & smoothies are good & all her food is vegetarian & delicious!
At the coffee shop I will let you know the refugees we will visit & give you their information. We then go to IDC & register before 10:00, but best if before 09:30.
Visiting is from 10:30 to 11:30. Between 09:30 & 10:30 we usually buy some things for whomever we will visit.
Items to bring to detainees: WATER, fresh fruit, boxed milk, ready prepared meal, nuts, fish snacks, peanut butter, bread, crackers, art supplies, books, small soaps & shampoos, sanitary napkins.
Try to bring items that are nutritious, have protein & will not spoil quickly.
There is limited space to store things, so don't bring too much.
Keep in mind religious restrictions (Muslims no pork, Hindus no beef)
They appreciate some goodies as well. Try to throw in something special for the kids.
Between registering & entering gives time to buy some stuff if you'd rather not bring it with you. There is a wet market a short walk back towards Sathorn Rd, on the left side. Also 7 Eleven near the coffee shop. You can get a meal along the road to bring in. All the food they get 3 times a day is rice & soup & one egg per day.
Items that CANNOT be brought in to give to the detainees include: anything in metal or glass containers, phones, noodle soup (Mama soup - as they do not have hot water for mixing). Anything in boxes needs to be open & contents removed (if in packets, like crackers).
When you enter for the visit you turn in passport & get a locker key. You put your personal belongings into the locker. You then go through a scanner & have a pat down search. The guards will search what you are bringing in to the detainee. When you visit there are 2 fences between you & the detainee & it is very noisy. Don't expect to have much of a meaningful conversation. The visit is mostly so families can be together & detainees get a break from their room for a short time.
My contact info:
Alexander Boehm
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Thanks for participating!! "
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