I've only ever been able to speak to my Nepali friend Daya** through twin metal fences that separate visitors from detainees at the Immigration Detention Center here in Bangkok. That might soon change. We've just received word from the US Embassy and immigration officials that Daya is in the last stages of being approved for refugee resettlement in the USA, and if all goes well he'll be heading to America in 3 to 4 months. Coming to America! In 2011 it's still a big part of the refugee dream, a dream that may soon come true for a man who over 4 years has suffered a refugee nightmare.
Though Thailand is for the most part a welcoming country, refugees here are not recipients of the country's legendary hospitality. Thailand has not signed the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, meaning that
