Dozens of Uyghurs have been deported from Thailand to China despite warnings from human rights experts about the high risk of torture, enforced disappearance, and imprisonment they may face. Local reports indicated that several trucks with covered windows were seen leaving the Bangkok immigration center early Thursday, where 48 Uyghurs had been detained for over a decade. Shortly after, an unscheduled China Southern Airlines flight departed from Bangkok’s Don Mueang airport at 4:48 AM and arrived in Kashgar, Xinjiang, approximately six hours later, as tracked by Flightradar24. A video circulating online showed handcuffed men being escorted off the plane.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed the deportation to Reuters, stating that China had assured Thailand the 40 returned Uyghurs would be well cared for. “It was done in accordance with Thai law and international principles. There are no problems. They will be looked after well because they are their people,” Phumtham said, adding that the individuals were undergoing health checks before being sent home, and their relatives had received them.
China’s government previously announced the repatriation of 40 “illegal immigrants” from Thailand, with the public security ministry emphasizing the importance of their return and asserting that the repatriation was consistent with the laws of both countries and international practices. The security official did not specify that the group consisted of Uyghurs, and many social media users speculated they were connected to scam operations.
At a separate press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian dismissed criticisms from “so-called human rights advocates,” asserting that all ethnic groups in China enjoy rights and freedoms as citizens. “Certain political forces have been spreading lies concerning Xinjiang to disrupt order in the region. We firmly oppose such interference,” he stated.
Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra remarked that “the law, international process, and human rights” must be upheld. The 48 detainees were part of a larger group of Uyghurs who fled China in late 2013 and early 2014, traveling to Southeast Asia with the assistance of human smugglers, with hopes of resettlement in Turkey if they reached Malaysia. They were arrested in Thailand in 2014, and in 2015, 109 were sent back to China, sparking international outrage. Images from that time showed some individuals hooded, handcuffed, and guarded by Chinese police, while others were sent to Turkey. The remaining detainees have been held in Thai custody for a decade, during which five have died, including a newborn and a three-year-old. These individuals were part of a mass exodus of Uyghurs fleeing Xinjiang, where China faces allegations of human rights abuses.
