Thai authorities are preparing to deport two Uyghur men to China, a move human rights groups warn would place their lives in grave danger. The pair recently transferred to an immigration detention centre after serving seven-year sentences for offences related to an attempted escape from detention in January 2020. They belong to a group of more than 200 people apprehended by Thai police near the Malaysian border in 2014 after fleeing China. While women and children from that cohort have been released to Turkey, the men face forced return to Beijing. Last year, Thai officials forcibly deported 40 other Uyghur men to China despite pleas from the individuals and the United Nations. The US and Canada reportedly offered to resettle those 40 men, but Bangkok appeared to prioritize avoiding friction with Beijing. The UN states the whereabouts of those returnees remain unknown, leaving their fate entirely opaque.
Legal basis and diplomatic pressure
Marzeyya Kasem, who uses an Islamic alias, shared a letter her boyfriend wrote in July where he described being "like a slave" if sent back to China. He asked why he is a human being and stated he does not want to return. The two men pleaded their case to Thailand’s office of the National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday. Chaipruak Doungprapat, Thailand’s national security council chief, told reporters that the men and three others in prison have outstanding arrest warrants in China. However, relatives question the credibility of these warrants because one man was a minor when he left China in 2014. Kasem noted that China did not issue an Interpol red notice when the group was detained in 2014. She believes Thai authorities are establishing a more credible legal basis this time because they faced criticism for last year’s mass deportation. A Chinese foreign affairs ministry spokesperson said cooperation on cross-border crime aligns with international law. Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called for the men to travel to a safe third country. She noted previous governments kept Uyghurs in inhumane detention before complying with Beijing’s demands to send them to China, where they were forcibly disappeared.
