In the early hours of 27 February 2025, Thai authorities forcibly returned 40 Uyghur asylum seekers to China, exposing them to the risk of severe human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and torture. These individuals had fled persecution in Xinjiang and had been held in immigration detention centres for over a decade, enduring deplorable conditions. Human rights advocates have condemned this act as a serious affront to international norms protecting refugees.
Guissou Jahangiri, the FIDH Secretary General and OPEN ASIA/Armanshahr Executive Director, lamented, “After arbitrarily detaining the Uyghur asylum seekers for more than 10 years in deplorable conditions, the Thai government added insult to injury by forcibly returning them to China.” This statement underscores the urgent need for Thailand to honour its obligations under international law.
The deportation undermines the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international human rights law which forbids returning individuals to places where they face grave risks. Thailand’s own legal provisions enshrined in the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act affirm this principle, reinforcing the government’s responsibility to protect vulnerable asylum seekers.
On 27 February 2025, Thailand forcibly returned 40 Uyghur asylum seekers to China, despite their risk of serious human rights violations. These individuals had spent over a decade in Thai detention centres. Human rights organisations decried this action as a violation of international human rights law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement.
The forced deportation of Uyghur asylum seekers by Thailand reflects a troubling disregard for fundamental human rights and international legal obligations. As advocates call for adherence to the non-refoulement principle and improvements to the conditions in immigration detention, there is pressing pressure on the government to recognise the humanitarian plight of refugees. The ongoing struggle for the rights of Uyghurs remains a crucial human rights issue for Thailand and the global community.
Original Source: www.fidh.org
