Wong was asked to Bangkok to speak at a number of events commemorating the victims of the murderous atrocity against the students and their friends at Thammasat University 40 years ago.
For many analysts, Wong’s exile is a further sign of Thailand’s shift towards China. Since the time that the Thai military was elected on May 14, 2014, it has been widely acknowledged that the country is moving closer to China and has abandoned its long-standing status as a steadfast all-weather ally in the world with the West.
An exchange of thoughts
The junta’s role has been a contributing factor to this perception. The committee has contributed to this perception. Both the European Union and the United States have been criticizing the coup and the junta’s shoddy Human Rights record. The junta’s outright denial of criticism has coincided with prominent visits to China and announcements about trade, investment, and military agreements.
But for all its exaggeration in both practical and strategic terms, the junta has accomplished nothing more than improve relations with China in the context of the dynamism that the previous Thai government administrations established. What Wong’s deportation shows about Thailand’s relations with China is the convergence of authoritarian policies.
Thailand’s junta views the deportation of 19-year-old Wong as a “friendly act” that curries favor with China. However, the committee understands China’s anxiety over foreign dissidents.
The junta has always declared a desire to disarm Thai dissidents abroad by requiring their return to Thailand. It also recognizes its “need” for promoting political order by repressing the domestic opposition.
After the coup, government officials proclaimed its agreements and deals with China. But the results of many celebrated sales have not been as good.
The high-profile infrastructure deals haven’t produced any progress. A high-speed train project between China and India, which the junta believes is essential to its economic success, has gone nowhere. Instead, it has caused a lot of friction with China and a lot of public arguing.
Exercises by the military that are thought to be a sign of the shift away from West are generally modest and have been followed by generally larger exercises which have included US troops.
Dissidents from the opposition
The one place where there has been a more substantial shift in the relations between the junta of Thailand and China has been how they treat Chinese dissidents. After the coup, Thailand’s junta’s leadership has been much less tolerant of Chinese political dissidents in Thailand than the previous regimes.
Wong’s story is part of a pattern of cooperation when dealing with the issues Beijing finds to be oppositional.
As an authoritarian government, Thailand’s junta is certainly aware of the indifference of China to social and political discontent. General Prayuth’s government has been the most oppressive since the dictatorship was extremist and was brought into place by the violent events Wong was supposed to commemorate in his failed Thailand visit.
The convergence of authoritarian regimes can be seen in a series of measures towards Chinese protesters in Thailand.
In June 2015, following the fact that Thailand granted Turkey 173 Uighurs, The Chinese government made its resentment known to the world. Within two weeks, Thailand deported more than 100 Uighurs to China. The junta could not provide any explanation as to the reasons why certain Uighurs were chosen for repatriation by force.
The deportation was met with condemnation by different human rights groups and UNHCR, claiming it was a violation of human rights. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) calls it an infringement under international laws. President Prayuth acknowledged that the deportation occurred because the junta did intend to harm its relations with China.
In a bid to appease China, the junta had been changing the policy of acceptance of Uighurs traveling through Thailand, typically resettling in Turkey. Some believed that one reaction to the change was the explosion in Bangkok on August 15, 2015, which killed 20 people, including five Chinese tourists, and wounded hundreds. Two of the ethnic Uighur suspects have been detained and detained since.
In the same period, Chinese political and religious dissidents began to be deported to China or ejected from Thailand and resurfaced in China in the custody of authorities. It is unclear how many dissidents, such as Christians or Falun Gong practitioners, are seeking refuge in Thailand.
