“We condemn in the strongest possible terms Thailand’s forced return of at least 40 Uighurs to China, where they lack due process rights and where Uighurs have faced persecution, forced labor, and torture,” declared Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a statement.
The Uighurs were part of a group of 300 who fled China and were arrested in 2014. Some were sent back to China and others to Türkiye. The rest were detained in Thailand, with several dying in custody, according to press reports.
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said the forced return of the Uighurs was deeply troubling. “This violates the principle of non-refoulement for which there is a complete prohibition in cases where there is a real risk of torture, ill-treatment, or other irreparable harm upon their return,” he said.
“As Thailand’s longstanding ally,” said Secretary Rubio, “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. 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.”
Secretary Rubio urged “all governments in countries where Uighurs seek protection not to forcibly return ethnic Uighurs to China.”
“China, under the direction and control of the Chinese Communist Party, has committed genocide and crimes against humanity targeting predominantly Muslim Uighurs and other members of ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang,” said Secretary Rubio.
Indeed, human rights groups estimate that more than 1 million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up in internment camps in the northwest region of Xinjiang. China initially denied the existence of the camps, but now says they are "vocational training schools" necessary to combat terrorism.
“We call on Chinese authorities to provide full access to verify the well-being of the returned Uighurs on a regular basis,” said Secretary Rubio. “The Thai Government must insist and fully verify continuously that Chinese authorities protect the Uighurs’ human rights.”
