Thai inmates serving sentence in Hong Kong repatriated, in first such transfer since agreement came into effect in 2000
- Thai nationals were transferred to home country this month, but details about the inmates, crime committed and length of sentence not revealed
- Hong Kong has similar agreements with countries such as Australia, Britain, and France
Two Thai inmates serving jail terms in Hong Kong have been repatriated to serve out the remainder of their sentence, marking the first transfer of its kind since governments on both sides struck a deal more than two decades ago.
The Thai consulate in Hong Kong hailed the move, saying it marked “the two sides’ close cooperation on criminal matters”.
In a Facebook post, the consulate said: “In July 2022, the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Hong Kong was successful in realising the transfer of Thai sentenced persons from [Hong Kong] to Thailand, the first ever to be conducted since the agreement on the transfer of offenders was concluded between the two governments in 2000.
The inmates had asked to serve the remainder of their sentence in their home country, it said, adding the transfer “constitutes a significant achievement for both Thailand and [Hong Kong] as a result of the two sides’ close cooperation on criminal matters.”
Pictures were also uploaded in Monday’s post, showing pixelated images of the inmates escorted by several people. In the photos, the individuals did not appear to have taken the special passage and looked to have travelled back to Thailand by going through the passenger terminal and a standard boarding gate.
Few details about the inmates were provided. The nature of the crime committed in Hong Kong was not mentioned, nor was the length of the sentence and how much had been served. Personal particulars of the two were also not disclosed.
In a reply to the Post, the Hong Kong Security Bureau said the policy would help inmates – both Hongkongers serving sentences elsewhere and non-local residents jailed in the city – adapt to prison life more easily. It would also assist their rehabilitation, as they would be in a more familiar environment free from language barriers and could get visits from family and friends.
“To protect personal privacy, we do not respond on the offences and terms of imprisonment of the concerned sentenced persons,” the bureau spokesman added.