US condemns Thailand for repatriating Uyghurs

The US has condemned Thailand’s repatriation of 40 Uyghur individuals to China following over a decade of detention, saying that this move is against the country’s commitment to protecting the vulnerable and human rights.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Thailand’s forced return of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where they lack due process rights and where Uyghurs have faced persecution, forced labour and torture,” read Thursday’s statement by Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State.

“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.”

The statement claimed that this act runs counter to the Thai people’s longstanding tradition of protection for the most vulnerable and is inconsistent with Thailand’s commitment to protect human rights.

“We urge all governments in countries where Uyghurs seek protection not to forcibly return ethnic Uyghurs to China,” the statement read.

The statement also claimed that China, under the direction and control of the Chinese Communist Party, has committed genocide and crimes against humanity targeting predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and other members of ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.

“We call on Chinese authorities to provide full access to verify the well-being of the returned Uyghurs on a regular basis. The Thai Government must insist and fully verify continuously that Chinese authorities protect the Uyghurs’ human rights,” the statement continued.

Earlier, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand confirmed that 40 Uyghur individuals had been returned to China following their detention in Thailand for over a decade.

According to a statement released on the Embassy's Facebook page, the repatriation took place in the early hours of February 27 via a chartered flight operated by a Chinese civil aviation company.

“On February 27, 40 Chinese individuals who had illegally entered the country were repatriated from Thailand to Xinjiang, China,” the statement read. “This is a concrete measure of cooperation between China and Thailand in addressing illegal immigration crimes and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, in accordance with the laws of both countries and international practices.”

China’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, said that certain political forces have been “spreading lies” concerning the Chinese northwestern region of Xinjiang to disrupt order, according to Reuters.

People of all ethnic groups including Uyghurs enjoy socio-economic and political rights and interest as citizens, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said when asked about the Uyghur activists deported from Thailand.

Lin instead referred to 40 repatriated Chinese that state news agency Xinhua said had been “bewitched by criminal organisations” and were stranded in Thailand.

He did not say whether or not the 40 Chinese citizens were Uyghurs.