U.N. Experts Urge Thailand to Halt Deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China
The detainees, held for over a decade, face potential torture and serious human rights violations if returned, U.N. warns.
BANGKOK — United Nations human rights experts are calling on Thailand to halt the deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China, warning that their return could expose them to torture, mistreatment, and “irreparable harm.”
Concerns over the possible transfer of the Uyghur detainees, who have been held in Thai immigration facilities for more than 10 years, have escalated in recent weeks. However, Thai officials insist no such deportation plans are in place.
Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group in China’s Xinjiang region, have long faced accusations of human rights abuses by Chinese authorities, including mass surveillance, forced labor, and arbitrary detentions. Beijing has denied all allegations of mistrea
tment.
U.N. and Rights Groups Call for Protection
In a statement released Tuesday, U.N. experts stressed that the 48 Uyghurs should not be sent back to China and should instead be granted access to asylum procedures and humanitarian support.
“These individuals must be provided with protection rather than forcibly returned to face potential persecution,” the statement read. The experts also noted that nearly half of the detainees suffer from serious health conditions.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated last week that there were no immediate plans to deport the Uyghurs, and national police chief Kittirat Panpetch confirmed that no official order for deportation had been issued.
The U.N. refugee agency (UNHCR) has also been in contact with Thai authorities, who have assured them that no deportations would take place, said Babar Baloch, a spokesperson for the agency.
China’s embassy in Thailand has yet to comment on the matter.
History of Deportations and Concerns Over Uyghur Fate
The Thai government previously deported over 100 Uyghurs to China in 2015, drawing international condemnation and raising fears that they would be subjected to persecution. Their whereabouts remain unknown.
That same year, more than 170 Uyghurs, mostly women and children, were allowed to relocate to Turkey, leaving around 50 in Thai custody. Since then, at least five have died in detention, including two children, according to U.N. experts.
During his recent confirmation hearing, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he would use Washington’s strong diplomatic ties with Thailand to prevent further deportations of Uyghurs to China.
A Deadly Legacy of the 2015 Deportations
Following Thailand’s 2015 deportation of Uyghurs to China, the country witnessed its deadliest bombing attack at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, killing 20 people. While Thai authorities attributed the attack to a crackdown on human trafficking rings, some diplomats and analysts have suggested a link to the Uyghur deportations.
Two ethnic Uyghur men were arrested in connection with the bombing and charged with murder and illegal possession of explosives. Their trial, delayed multiple times, remains ongoing.
For now, international pressure continues to mount on Thailand, with human rights groups and global organizations urging the government to ensure the safety of the remaining Uyghur detainees and prevent their forced repatriation.