NextSharkNextShark.com

Child Bride Who Was Married to 41-Year-Old Malaysian Man Returned to Thailand for Safety

Child Bride Who Was Married to 41-Year-Old Malaysian Man Returned to Thailand for Safety

August 10, 2018
SHARE
A Thai “child bride” who was married to a 41-year-old Malaysian man back in June has been sent back to Thailand and is now under the care of local social service agency in Narathiwat.
Kelantan State Government reportedly handed the 11-year-old girl to Thai authorities on Wednesday, a social activist source told The Star.
The order for the girl to go back to Thailand was reportedly so sudden that the girl did not have time to pack.
“The ministry is supposed to protect the girl and rehabilitate her,” the unnamed source was quoted as saying. “It’s right for the Thai government to take the girl back but they have to have a long-term plan. The girl’s family is poor and no one would care for them.”
Subscribe to
NextShark's Newsletter

A daily dose of Asian America's essential stories, in under 5 minutes.

Get our collection of Asian America's most essential stories to your inbox daily for free.

Unsure? Check out our Newsletter Archive.

The girl is being sheltered by the Social Development and Human Security Ministry for the time being, but concerns remain that pressures from religious bodies might eventually result in her ending up back to her so-called “husband” as the groups are known to support child marriage.
The controversial marriage between the child, the daughter of poor a Thai couple, and Che Abdul Karim, a self-proclaimed imam of Kampung Lalang village in Kuala Betis, Malaysia ignited international outrage after the incident went viral in June.
While non-Muslims can only be legally married if they are at least 18 and will require parental consent for marriage if they are below 21 under Malaysia’s Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act’s Sections 10 and 12, Muslims are allowed to marry under the age of 16 as long as it has the permission of a religious court.
MOST READ
    HAPPENING NOW
      Ryan General

      Ryan General is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

      SHARE THIS ARTICLE:

      RELATED STORIES FROM NEXTSHARK

      Support
      NextShark's
      Journalism

      Many people might not know this, but NextShark is a small media startup that runs on no outside funding or loans, and with no paywalls or subscription fees, we rely on help from our community and readers like you.

      Everything you see today is built by Asians, for Asians to help amplify our voices globally and support each other. However, we still face many difficulties in our industry because of our commitment to accessible and informational Asian news coverage.

      We hope you consider making a contribution to NextShark so we can continue to provide you quality journalism that informs, educates, and inspires the Asian community. Even a $1 contribution goes a long way. Thank you for supporting NextShark and our community.

      © 2023 NextShark, Inc. All rights reserved.