RETERRITORIALIZING THAILAND'S TRANSNATIONAL SPACE?: The Host State's Policy Silence in Countering Transnational Repression and the Facilitation of Extraterritorial Space-Making

Abstract

Studies surrounding transnational repression have taken an interest in the relationships between targeted citizens and their countries of origin, such as strategies used against individuals, and the legitimacy of exercising such extraterritorial powers. However, the role of the host state in facilitating this transnational repressive control is yet another area that requires greater academic attention. This article argues that a host state's policy silence and legal loopholes regarding the protection of political exiles against transnational repression practices can allow the country of origin to aggressively exercise control over the diaspora population beyond borders, causing spatial encroachment symbolically and materially in the host state. We use Thailand as a case study by examining certain areas of policy spaces that have potential impacts on the growth of transnational repression practices. The study concludes that the host state's reactions to such practices have strong implications for the expansion of repressive transnational powers.