Chinese University Student, 22 Killed in Thailand Over Unpaid Ransom

Three Chinese men are suspected of fleeing Thailand after kidnapping a female Chinese university student and then killing her after failing to acquire a ransom of US$75,000.00 ransom from her father in China.

The body of the Chinese student was discovered in a ditch in Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district on Saturday afternoon, Pol Maj Gen Nopasilp Poolsawat, deputy Bangkok police commander told the Bangkok Post.

The corpse was wrapped in a sack and had five stab wounds on the left side of her chest, as well as a large stab wound in her right shoulder. A towel was used to tie the collar.

Surveillance camera footage revealed three Chinese men abducting the 22-year-old Chinese woman, according to the deputy Bangkok police commissioner. Last Tuesday, Jin Can, a student at Bangkokthonburi University, was kidnapped. They drove her to a rented home in a luxury housing development in Bang Yai in a Mazda car and detained her there.

Detectives discovered that the group then used the WeChat chat application to demand 500,000 yuan (about 2.5 million baht) in ransom from her father in China.

The ransom demand was delivered to the parent along with a photograph of his daughter with her wrists and ankles tied. He then inquired about his daughter’s whereabouts at the institution.

The parent was informed by the university that his daughter was last seen at the university between 5 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

They thought it was a joke, so the father did not send the ransom to a specific Bank of China account. Later, when he was unable to reach his daughter, the father became concerned.

Surveillance video showed the three Chinese men arriving in the red Mazda car at 1.30 a.m. last Wednesday near the body’s location.

On Wednesday at 3 p.m., the Chinese men departed the rented house. The car was returned to the rental company on Bangkok’s Phetchaburi Road on Thursday, the day the three men departed for Chengdu.

Protecting 63 Chinese from Persecution in China

Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch (HRW) is asking the government to ensure the safety of 63 recently detained Christian asylum seekers from China, who fear being deported to their home country will subject them to persecution and torture.

According to HRW, authorities arrested members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, including 28 adults and 35 children, in Pattaya on March 30 for reportedly overstaying their visas.

Last year, these asylum seekers fled to Thailand to avoid persecution by Chinese officials.

“They are unable to renew their visas because immigration regulations require Chinese nationals to first report to their embassy,” it continued.

“Under President Xi Jinping, leaders and members of ‘house churches’ who refuse to join official churches face harassment, arbitrary arrests, and imprisonment,” Elaine Pearson, Asia director at HRW, said. “Thai authorities must recognize the grave dangers facing Christians in China and must not force them to return.”

The group also asked the UNHCR to evaluate the group’s refugee status and “help ensure no one is deported to a place where their lives or freedom are threatened.”

“If Thailand determines that the 63 Christian Chinese cannot stay, they should be allowed to seek asylum elsewhere,” Ms Pearson said. “Rights-respecting governments must act quickly to express their willingness to accept these vulnerable asylum seekers.”

Meanwhile, an Immigration Bureau source said the 63 Chinese citizens were arrested on visa overstay charges in Pattaya, but no other offences were committed.

“The government is taking care of them well under humanitarian assistance guidelines; human rights organizations should not be concerned; they will be treated according to the rule of law,” he told the Bangkok Post, adding that everyone will be tried in court.

Thailand has previously returned Chinese nationals wanted by China, though their fate following trial is unclear.