It seems strange perhaps, to think of Thailand as the land of milk, honey, and freedom, but not if you remember that the countries surrounding Thailand are Burma, Laos, and Cambodia. Like the Hmong, tens of thousands of Cambodians have sought refuge here, and many are no longer confined to the refugee camps that dot the country's borders. Cambodias have become a part of the growing illegal work force responsible for building highways, irrigation canals, and other building projects. The regional United Nations office is here in Bangkok, and many have applied for refugee status. For most it is their only hope to avoid being rounded up by the police, imprisoned, and eventually sent back to Cambodia.
Since Phnom Penh opened to missionary work in the late nineties, the Church has also begun calling Cambodian-speaking missionaries to proselyte here in Bangkok. When we arrived in October we were amazed to see the international branch here included some 60-80 Cambodian members as well. About a month ago, this section was organized as Thailand's first Cambodian-speaking branch, whose attendance regularly equals and sometimes surpasses that of the Thai ward that meets in the same building. But the branch is not without its challenges. It is very difficult to integrate the branch into the larger stake. Very few people here speak Cambodian as a second language, which makes translations more difficult. Not surpringly for a community of illegal immigrants, the church welfare system has been a huge catalyst in bringing people into the church. I estimate that three out of four Cambodian members are receiving some form of church assistance, probably more.
Last week the Thai police raided a collection of shanties where large numbers illegal immigrants live. Many church members were caught in the dragnet, and being unable to provide proper identification, taken off to prison. Entire families, with children as young as two and three years old are now living in the prison here in Pak Kret - including one of the children who use to come play in our nursery. And this is not the standard INS detention centers from the California or Texas borders. These are average, Thai, cement-block, guard-tower, 'Brokedown-Palace', prisons. Church leaders are now scrambling to find out who has been taken and visit them in prison to provide them with basic necessities and determine their status. Even worse, many families have been separated, since only those who were at home during the raid have been taken off to prison. One of the members in our ward is now sheltering two girls, ages 9 and 12, who had been living alone for over a week. They had been washing dishes all day at a noodle stand in order to have enough money to eat.
All of this presents the church with a very real moral dilemma. It goes without saying that, as fellow-Christians, we have a charitable responsibility to our brethren. But there is a great deal of debate over whether providing sustenance to 'undocumented workers' constitutes a breach of civic responsibility. Many members fear that harboring Cambodians, if discovered, could jeopardize their standing with the Thai government, their works visas, and consequently their jobs. This is especially sensitive for those members who are employees of American or Canadian embassies or who are associated with the US government in other ways. Moreover, there is considerable concern over how having such a large illegal membership will affect the overal standing and reputation of the Church vis-a-vis the Thai government. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is still not recognized as an official sect by the Department of Religion in Thailand. If the Thai authorities see our church as subverting their immigration policy, it will undermine efforts achieve the good relations and recognition vital to church stability and growth.
So far, church policy has supported providing assistance to Cambodian members who are 'in-proces' of applying for refugee status through the UN. Once they've been rejected by the UN three times they can not re-apply, and the Church leaders advise them to return to Cambodia. Many remembers refuse to do this, maintaining that they are political refugees and that if they return to their villages they will be killed. The Khmer Rouge are no longer a factor in Cambodia, but their civil war and genocide have left a legacy of violence and blood-feuds that continue to this day in parts of Cambodia. It's difficult to know what is really going on there. The question thus remains: should you offer refuge and assistance to an individual even at the risk of jeopardizing the standing of the larger congregation?
