Foreign Ministry to talk with US after visa sanction threat: PM

The Thai Foreign Ministry has been tasked with talking to the US after that country announced it would restrict visas for Thai officials involved in recent Uyghur deportations to China.

Speaking to reporters before Tuesday’s weekly Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra said the Foreign Ministry would explain Thailand’s stance on the deportation.

Thailand has no issues with the US, as the Thai government was doing its best in carrying out its administrative duties, she said.

When asked if she was included in the visa restrictions, the prime minister said: “I don’t know yet.”

As she headed into a building, Paetongtarn added that she thought the situation would improve once the two countries had spoken and that no serious impacts were likely.

Last Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hit out at Thailand and condemned China, which the US claims forces other countries to return Uyghurs to Chinese territory.

The White House asserts that members of the Chinese minority group are subject to torture and enforced disappearances.

On February 27, Thailand sent 40 Uyghurs to China, claiming that no countries had declared a concrete intention to house them and that the kingdom had kept the group for years. The move fuelled criticism from many entities.

Thai officials will visit Xinjiang this week to monitor their well-being, as agreed upon during the deportation, according to the Thai government.