Activists warn that Thailand may deport two more Uyghur men to China, where they fear persecution, after the men were moved to an immigration detention centre, according to the Guardian. The case has drawn renewed attention to Thailand’s handling of Uyghurs facing possible return to China.
According to human rights groups, the two men face deportation after being transferred to the detention centre. The Guardian reports that the men pleaded their case to Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday, and that Thai authorities may still proceed with the deportation.
The case follows a deportation last year. Thai authorities forcibly deported 40 Uyghur men to China despite pleas from the men and the UN, according to the Guardian. The US and Canada had reportedly offered to resettle the 40 men, but Bangkok appeared to want to avoid upsetting Beijing, the Guardian reports. The UN says the whereabouts of the returned men remain unknown.
Thailand’s national security council chief, Chaipruak Doungprapat, said the two men and three other Uyghurs still in prison have arrest warrants outstanding in China, according to the Guardian. Marzeyya Kasem, whose boyfriend is one of the men, questions the warrants’ credibility. She notes that China did not issue an Interpol red notice when the men were detained in 2014, and that one man was a minor when he left China. The Guardian reports both sides’ claims without independent confirmation of either.
A Chinese foreign affairs ministry spokesperson said cooperation between China and Thailand against cross-border crime is consistent with the laws of both countries and international law, according to the Guardian.
The men were serving seven-year prison sentences for offences related to an attempted escape from immigration detention in January 2020. They were part of a group of more than 200 Uyghurs apprehended near the Malaysia border in 2014. Since then, women and children in the group have been released to Turkey, while the men were deported to China in separate batches, drawing criticism from the UN and US secretary of state Marco Rubio.
The UN has described China’s crackdown on Uyghurs as a potential crime against humanity. Beijing says its Xinjiang policies aim at poverty alleviation and counter-terrorism.
Several gaps remain. It is not clear whether China has issued a formal extradition request for the two men. Thailand’s foreign affairs ministry declined to comment. The men’s names are withheld for security reasons, and their identities and current status are not confirmed. There is no independent confirmation of the men’s claims about their treatment in China.
This report relies on a single outlet, the Guardian, and no second outlet has confirmed the deportation plans or the warrant claims.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.