Xavier Hall – a sanctuary
Fr Bernard Arputhasamy (TAI), JRS-Asia Pacific Director, gave a moving account when Xavier Hall was opened as a sanctuary last May 17 - 20 to those who sought refuge during the Red Shirt uprising in Bangkok.
Xavier Hall as a sanctuary with ‘no weapons’
“We are the only ‘refugees’ left behind!” said Fr Paul Pollock, Jesuit Superior of Xavier Hall Community and Thailand. A group of ‘Bangkok refugees’ left early this morning, about 15 of them (men and women), just as soon as the curfew was lifted (8pm to 6am).
This group arrived at 6.45 pm yesterday (19 May) as the situation in Victory Monument became more dangerous. Repeated gun shots interspersed with fire crackers and bomb explosions were heard frequently. At 6.30pm as some of us were about to begin Mass, two very loud explosions were heard just outside Xavier Hall. We rushed to the gates to see what was happening. People and police retreated quickly to the fringes of the Monument away from the Din Daeng-Victory Monument intersection towards Rachwithi side. First the Dokya bookshop and then followed by the Centre One Mall. They were up in flames. Simultaneously, the 7-11 at the Phahonyothin road was ablaze. By morning of the 20thit was burnt down. The fire engines and fire men were bringing their operations to a close. However, the fire fighters were battling to put off the fires of an already burnt building of the Centre One.
Curfew was imposed from 8pm to 6 am mid-afternoon yesterday. There was an eerie silence…so different from these past weeks of loud speeches and applauses, sporadic gun shots and blasts and fire crackers. Frequent single gun shots were heard more after the curfew started with occasional big blasts. The rest of the night the silence could be heard!
The first group of refugees arrives in Xavier Hall to a secure sanctuary.
At 2.15 pm yesterday (19 May) the first group of ‘Bangkok refugees’ arrived at our gates to seek sanctuary. Xavier Hall women collaborators gently asked permission to check the belongings of the women—6 of them--coming in for any kind of weapons before allowing each one to enter the sanctuary. They came to seek refuge. They were visibly distressed. They ran away from the group of the red-shirts protesting.
One of them later claimed, as she was leaving, that she was one of the leaders of the group gathered at the Din Daeng-Victory Monument intersection. She said she is leaving for home and has contacted friends to come and meet her. The Xavier Hall collaborators were with her to be sure that she is safe and will be safe. She left calmly with her belongings. She seemed subdued. Some left later by another gate to return home after resting. Light refreshments and drinks were served as they watched the drama unfolding on the television placed on a corridor of the multi-purpose hall so that we could follow from inside Xavier Hall what is happening outside our doorstep (not much media coverage) and around Bangkok.
At the crack of dawn on 20thof May, birds were singing and chirping gleefully in their accustomed sanctuary. This is their daily morning ritual. Little do they know that others too sought sanctuary for the first time in this place…running for their lives to safety.
A walk around the Victory Monument, after curfew hours, revealed the damage already done to the buildings and surroundings in the Monument…but more so to the people. On their faces is written the sadness and shock at what they saw.
The two corners respectively burnt, streets scattered with rubbish from the gatherings of the previous nights, road blocks, visible military and police presence, fire engines and fire fighters, onlookers and passersby on cars and motorcycles.
There were some signs of normalcy--the vans used for public transport were operating at different stations and food vendors provided for those on their way to work.
Ton helping to carry belongings of friends to safety.
Some friends who stood by us to keep vigil in Xavier Hall these past 3 days requested help to move their belongings from the office next to Centre One building that kept burning and spewing clouds of smoke as the fire fighters continued to put off the fire.
Kluey providing drinks and ice for all.
While we were ready and open to provide a place of sanctuary we were relieved that it was not needed by most people. On Monday (17) morning Fr Paul Pollock invited and assembled a small team to organize the place of sanctuary. A request was received the night before for the Xavier Hall grounds to be used for this purpose. It was the right thing to do as we planned in a simple way, i.e. the conditions of the sanctuary (no weapons), medical station, food/drinks, security, contacts for Red Cross and others in case of emergency, overall coordinator, mats to sleep, etc. etc. We shared some light moments together over lunch and dinner even as we shared the silent-sorrow of what was happening at our doorstep, in parts of Bangkok and Thailand.
These past years especially these past weeks and these past few days, have been painful and sad moments for us all. It has wounded our hearts. We search within us and among us for a meaning in this. It is not easy. A favourite symbol of mine has been the lotus plant and flower. It is planted and grows in mud water. From the mud water, a beautiful flower grows!
We have been planted these days into the ‘mud water’ of the sufferings of the people in Bangkok and Thailand. We share these sufferings. It is ours.
We have been wounded by all kinds of violence these weeks. From these wounds in our hearts a beautiful flower of peace and compassion grows in all of us.
