Thailand Deports Uyghurs to China Despite Sanctions Threat By US Lawmakers
Thailand on Feb. 27 returned to China at least 40 Uyghurs that had been detained in Thailand for years, despite calls from the U.S. officials not to do so and threats of possible sanctions by lawmakers.
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The State Department said the return of the Uyghurs to China puts them at risk of “persecution, forced labor, and torture” by the Chinese government, which has been accused of human rights violations against ethnic and religious minority groups, including against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. “As Thailand’s longstanding ally, we are alarmed by this action, which risks running afoul of its international obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture and the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
Leaders of the House Select Committee on China said Feb. 26 that the U.S. would consider sanctions against Thailand if it deported the Uyghurs (see 2502260034).
A Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said Feb. 27 the Uyghurs had illegally migrated to Thailand and that the “lawful rights and interests of individuals concerned are fully protected.”
“We stand firmly against the attempts to use human rights as a pretext to interfere with China’s internal affairs and to use Xinjiang-related issues to disturb normal law enforcement cooperation between countries,” the spokesperson said during a regularly scheduled Beijing press conference, according to a transcript. “Certain parties must stop concocting and spreading Xinjiang-related lies and absurd accusations.”