A human rights organization has strongly condemned the Thai government for forcibly deporting a group of Uyghur asylum seekers to China, warning that they face persecution upon return.
The United States has also issued a security alert, cautioning its citizens about potential retaliatory attacks against Thailand.
On Feb. 27, Thai authorities deported an estimated 45 Uyghur refugees to China, according to multiple sources, including the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees.
Rights group Fortify Rights has accused Thailand of violating both international and domestic laws by facilitating the forced return of the Uyghurs.
“Forcibly returning Uyghur refugees to China, where they face persecution and genocide, is a horrendous violation of international and domestic law,” said Matthew Smith, Chief Executive Officer at Fortify Rights. “Thai officials must be held accountable under the anti-torture law for their role in these returns.”
The U.S. Embassy in Thailand has issued a security alert in response to the deportations, citing previous violent incidents linked to similar actions.
“Similar deportations have prompted violent retaliatory attacks in the past. Most notably, in the wake of a 2015 deportation of Uyghurs from Thailand, improvised explosive devices detonated at the Erawan Shrine in Bangkok, killing 20 people and injuring 125 others,” the embassy said.
The alert advised U.S. citizens to “exercise increased caution and vigilance, especially in crowded locations frequented by tourists due to the potential for increased collateral risk,” review their personal security plans, and follow the instructions of local authorities.
Eyewitnesses reported that at approximately 2 a.m. on Feb. 27, several trucks with black tape covering their windows were seen leaving the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in Bangkok, where Uyghur refugees had been held in poor conditions for over a decade.
Later that morning, a China Southern Airlines flight departed Don Mueang Airport for Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang Region, where rights groups say Uyghurs face systematic repression.
Thai government officials have issued mixed statements regarding the deportation.
Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai asserted that China had “assured” Thai authorities that the returnees would be “looked after” and claimed the deportations were carried out “in accordance with international standards.”
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra said she had “not been made aware” of the deportations but insisted that Thailand must “adhere to laws and human rights.”
Fortify Rights and other human rights organizations argue that Thailand’s actions contradict its obligations under international law.
The principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of refugees to a country where they face persecution, is considered binding under international human rights law.
Thailand’s Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act states, “No government organizations or public officials shall expel, deport, or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, or enforced disappearance.”
Matthew Smith of Fortify Rights emphasized the need for accountability, saying, “Thailand’s actions in this case go against everything the U.N. Human Rights Council represents.”
“States that value human rights should urgently engage the Thai authorities, and if there is no accountability for this grave injustice, they should reassess their engagement with Thailand. This horrendous act cannot stand,” he added.
Thailand was elected to the U.N. Human Rights Council in 2024, a position that requires it to uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.
