Source photographThai police detain Montagnards who were praying at a funeral, Feb. 23, 2025. Credit: Y Misin Knul/RFA. View with the original reporting →
Radio Free Asia reported a February 2025 raid on a Dega funeral gathering in Nonthaburi, while recording materially different arrest figures from an aid organization and Thai police.
A gathering became an immigration operation
Radio Free Asia reported that Thai authorities raided a funeral service in Nonthaburi province on 23 February 2025. Boat People SOS told RFA that 68 people were detained and that 43 held UNHCR refugee cards. Thai police separately confirmed that more than 40 Vietnamese nationals had been detained for alleged illegal entry, while saying they did not face immediate deportation.
The funeral had been organized by the wife of Dega activist Y Quynh Bdap after her mother died in Viet Nam, RFA reported. Most attendees were described as Rhade/Ede people who had fled amid claims of religious persecution. One participant told RFA that authorities moved quickly through fingerprinting and transfer procedures while requests for lawyers were being made.
The difference between the figures is important: Operation Siam preserves each source’s attribution rather than collapsing them into one verified number. The article reflects information available on 25 February 2025 and does not establish the later or present status of every person involved.
Terminology and safety note
RFA’s headline uses “Montagnard,” and its report identifies many attendees as Rhade/Ede. Operation Siam uses Dega in its own voice. This editorial summary is not legal advice or an emergency alert; anyone facing arrest or removal needs current, qualified assistance through an appropriate private route.
Sources and further reading
- Radio Free Asia — Thai authorities detain 68 Montagnards during raid on funeral service — Original reporting dated 25 February 2025 and updated that day.
External links are provided for verification and further reading. A citation does not imply endorsement, partnership, or control by the cited institution.
This news brief is an original Operation Siam summary of the cited reporting. It preserves source attribution, does not reproduce the source article, and does not imply endorsement, partnership, or independent verification by Operation Siam.