Thailand’s military government bans Human Rights Watch event in Bangkok discussing Vietnamese persecution of ethnic Montagnards

• Having stepped up censorship and public assembly bans since its 2014 coup, the junta justified the shutdown by claiming such an event would damage relations with Vietnam.
• The event is the third to be shut down in the last month at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand.
• The predominantly Christian Montagnards have fled religious and political persecution in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, seeking asylum in neighboring countries like Cambodia.

“Thailand is choosing to side with dictatorships in ASEAN while further stepping up repression at home.”