Thailand has deported 40 Uyghurs to China at the request of Beijing, official says

Thai officials have confirmed the repatriation of over 40 Uyghurs to China, a move that has sparked widespread condemnation from human rights organizations. This group of Uyghurs had been detained in Thailand for over a decade after attempting to cross the border to seek political asylum in 2014. Human rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuse against the Uyghur population, further intensifying international scrutiny.

The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group of approximately 10 million people residing in China's western Xinjiang region. Some Western governments believe that China's treatment of Uyghurs constitutes genocide, but Beijing denies any mistreatment. Thailand's National Police Chief, Torsak Sukvimol, stated that the repatriation was carried out at the request of the Chinese government, emphasizing bilateral cooperation.

According to Thai domestic media reports, several trucks with windows covered in black tape left the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center, where the 40 Uyghurs were being held, earlier on Thursday. Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, showed that a China Southern Airlines charter flight departed from Bangkok's Don Mueang Airport at 4:48 a.m. that day, landing in Kashgar, Xinjiang, six hours later.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong issued a statement saying: "The Australian Government is deeply opposed to the transfer by the Thai Government of 40 Uyghurs to China against their will." The statement also said: "The Australian Government has consistently expressed serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China. We will continue to raise these issues at the highest levels in China."

World Uyghur Congress's Dolkun Isa said he had been exchanging information with the detainees twice a day via a secret mobile phone, but he had not received any messages from them since the afternoon of February 25. Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, a human rights organization, said the repatriation marked "another dark chapter in the ongoing Uyghur genocide" and called it "an execution in broad daylight."

Abbas further stated: "These individuals fled persecution seeking safety, only to be sent back to their oppressors—directly into the hands of a regime perpetrating mass atrocities against our people. This is a shameful stain on humanity’s conscience... Thailand must face global condemnation from the international community." Since 2017, Chinese authorities have carried out what they call a "People's War on Terror" aimed at eradicating what they claim is extremism among the Uyghur population.

It is estimated that at least 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been extrajudicially detained in detention camps, which Beijing claims are vocational training centers. Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, said Thailand's decision "flies in the face of Thailand’s obligations under domestic and international law." Pearson believes: "These individuals are now at high risk of torture, enforced disappearance, and prolonged imprisonment in China."

Pearson also added: "Senior Thai officials had repeatedly given public assurances that these individuals would not be transferred, including to allies and UN officials. The government’s actions damage Thailand’s credibility on the international stage and as a member of the UN Human Rights Council." When asked about the repatriations earlier on Thursday, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin did not confirm that they had taken place.

Srettha Thavisin told reporters: "For any country, these kinds of issues must be in accordance with the law, international procedures, and human rights," but he did not elaborate. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the repatriation was carried out under the joint efforts of China and Thailand to "combat human trafficking and other cross-border crimes." He denied that China mistreats Uyghurs.

Lin Jian stated: "Some political forces and institutions fabricate and spread Xinjiang-related lies, the purpose of which is nothing more than to undermine Xinjiang's stability. We firmly oppose interference in China's internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, and we firmly oppose using Xinjiang-related issues to interfere with normal law enforcement cooperation between countries." China's official media Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday that the 40 repatriated Chinese nationals were "bewildered by criminal organizations" and stranded in Thailand.

Xinhua also stated that their families had repeatedly requested the Chinese government to assist them in returning home. The 40 Uyghurs detained in Thailand were part of a group of 300 who fled China and were arrested in 2014. Some were repatriated to China, others were sent to Turkey, and the remainder were detained in Thailand. The Thai government recently stated that there were no immediate plans to repatriate them, although it did not rule out the possibility of their return.

In a 2024 letter to the Thai government, UN human rights experts stated that the Thai government's treatment of the detainees may constitute a violation of international law. Some diplomats and security analysts believe that Thailand's repatriation of 100 Uyghurs to China in July 2015 led to a bomb attack on a busy shrine in Bangkok, killing 20 people, the deadliest attack on Thai soil.

Thailand was widely condemned for repatriating the 100 Uyghurs, with international concerns that they may be subjected to torture, and their fate remains unknown. Thai authorities concluded at the time that the shrine attack was linked to their crackdown on human smuggling gangs, but did not specifically link the gang to the Uyghurs. Two Uyghur men were arrested and charged with murder and illegal possession of explosives, and their trial is ongoing, despite numerous delays.