Thailand on Thursday deported about 40 Uyghur asylum seekers back to China, ignoring warnings from activists and foreign governments that these people could face torture and long-term imprisonment upon their return, according to rights groups.
The Ugr community of the Muslim minority persecuted in China has been detained in Bangkok for more than a decade. They were part of a wave of more than 300 people fleeing China in 2014, hoping to use Thailand as a border crossing to Turkey, home to a considerable Uyghur community.
Last month, some of the detainees, who were men, went on a hunger strike while worried about returning to China.
A reporter witnessed six trucks with black cloth covered in windows around 2 a.m. Thursday, leaving behind an immigration detention center in downtown Bangkok, detaining Ugles. Several police cars accompanied the trucks, blocking traffic around them.
According to Flightradar24, an unplanned China Southern Airlines flew from Bangkok to Kashgar (uyghurs of Uyghurs) in Xinjiang at about 5 a.m. It landed after 12:00 p.m. local time.
“All signs are at least 40 men deported,” said Julie Millsap, who is a Washington organization who has been lobbying the government for freeing Uyghurs.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch criticized Thai authorities for expelling the men, despite their public assurance that they would not do so.
“Thailand’s transfer of Ugel detainees to China constitutes a flagrant violation of Thailand’s obligations under domestic and international laws,” said Elaine Pearson, director of the Asian Human Rights Watch. “These people are now at high risk of torture, enforced disappearances and long-term imprisonment.”
The Thai police and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
The official report from Xinhua News Agency appears to be intentionally vague about the deported person and does not provide details about their identity or where they are in China. It said: “Repatriation is carried out in accordance with Chinese and Thai laws, international law and international practice.”
Pirada Anuwech Contributed reports from Bangkok.
