Thailand deports 40 Uyghurs to China after a decade of detention

Thailand deported at least 40 Uyghur men to China after holding them in detention for more than ten years. Last month, the men made a public appeal urging to halt the deportation claiming that they will face and possibly even death in China.
Despite calls from Thai lawmakers and international rights groups, the deportation still went ahead.
Global disapproval
However, the move has been widely condemned, with UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Turk calling it a “clear violation of international human rights laws and standards.” He said, “It is deeply regrettable that they have been forcibly returned.”
He demanded the Chinese government to disclose the whereabouts of the detainees and to ensure that they are treated in accordance with international human rights standards.
US secretary of state Marco Rubio also strongly criticised the deportation, warning that Uyghurs in China face “persecution, forced labour, and torture.” Rubio had previously urged Thailand not to send the men back, calling it a betrayal of the country’s long-standing tradition of protecting vulnerable groups.
In a statement on Thursday, he said the move risks violating human rights agreements and is “inconsistent with Thailand’s commitment to protect human rights.”
Thai officials back the decision
At a press conference in Bangkok, Thai security officials, led by deputy prime minister and defence minister Phumtham Wechayachai, insisted the deportation was voluntary. They claimed that the men had been shown a translated Chinese agreement guaranteeing their safety and allowing them to “live normally” upon their return.
However, rights groups have expressed doubt on these assurances, given China’s history of repression against the Uyghur population.
Warnings of the imminent deportation began circulating on Wednesday, as activists and Thai lawmakers raised the alarm. That night, security around Bangkok’s Immigration Detention Centre was noticeably tighter and trucks with blacked-out windows were seen leaving the facility at midnight.
The detainees were reportedly driven to Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport, where a China Southern Airlines flight was waiting to take them to Xinjiang, the heartland of China’s Uyghur population.
On Thursday, the Chinese embassy in Thailand confirmed that the men had been deported, describing them as “Chinese nationals” who had entered Thailand illegally. It blamed “complicated international factors” for their long period in detention.
Thai authorities later released footage showing some of the deported men exiting the aircraft in China. One of them was awkwardly embraced by an unsmiling woman, while several photographers and cameramen stood nearby. Other images showed detainees eating a meal and undergoing health checks, but no photos were made available of their departure from Thailand.
A total of 43 Uyghur men had been held at the Bangkok detention centre, but five remained behind due to prison sentences for a previous escape attempt. It remains unclear why China has only confirmed the deportation of 40.
History of Uyghur suppression in China
The Uyghurs, a Turkic and predominantly Muslim ethnic group, have long faced repression in China’s Xinjiang region. Over the past years, Beijing has been accused of genocide, with up to a million Uyghurs reportedly detained in camps, subjected to forced labour, torture, and severe restrictions on their religious and cultural practices.
Thailand has previously deported Uyghurs to China, despite international outcry. In 2015, the country forcibly returned 109 Uyghur detainees, inviting widespread condemnation. Another 173 Uyghurs, mostly women and children, were sent to Turkey, while 53 remained in Thai detention seeking asylum.
For over a decade, Thailand has struggled with the diplomatic dilemma posed by the Uyghur detainees, caught between its largest trading partner, China, and its traditional military ally, the United States.
China has consistently labelled Uyghur asylum seekers as terrorists but has failed to provide evidence in individual cases. Rights groups argue that those deported are innocent and now face serious danger.
Discussions on their deportation reportedly restarted after Thai PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra took office last year.