A joint team from the Nepali embassy in Thailand and the Non-Resident Nepalis Association in Thailand (NRNA-Thailand) has learnt about the condition of Nepalis serving jail terms in Thai prisons.
The team comprising Charge d´Affaires at the embassy Dor Nath Aryal, NRNA-Thailand President Khagendra Raj Dhakal and embassy official Hari Bahadur Thapa has learnt about the condition of Nepalis doing time in Thai prisons.
According to Dhakal, the prisoners requested the embassy to take the initiative to seek a royal pardon for them so that they would be able to return to a normal life back in Nepal.
Altogether 70 Nepalis are serving jail terms in various Thai prisons. The team held meetings with Nepalis inmates at Bang Kwang Central Jail and the Central Women´s Jail in Thailand on Saturday. While 21 Nepalis males are in Bang Kwang, nine women are doing time in the Central Women´s Jail.
Other Nepalis are in Klong Prem Prision and Chiang Mai Prison. Most of them were arrested on charges of drug smuggling.
According to Dhakal, the inmates whom the joint team met on Saturday requested them to take the initiative to let them serve their remaining jail terms in Nepal itself. They complained that they were facing difficulties due to lack of knowledge of the Thai language.
Altogether 24 countries have reached an agreement with Thailand under which their nationals in Thai prisons can serve the rest of their terms in their own respective countries. Nepalis in Thai prisons can also be taken to Nepal to serve their remaining jail terms once Nepal inks a similar agreement with Thailand.
Dhakal of NRNA-Thailand said most Nepalis in Thai jails seemed to be innocent and illiterate people who had been used by those involved in smuggling illegal drugs. He said there is a need to organize awareness programs to prevent innocent Nepalis being arrested under such circumstances.
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70 Nepalis in Thai jails, want royal pardon
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