Thailand Faces International Backlash After Uyghur Deportations to China**

Rights organizations express outrage over Thailand's deportation of 40 Uyghur men, fearing for their safety and well-being upon returning to a country known for its poor treatment of the Muslim minority.**

 

Thailand has sparked global condemnation after deporting 40 Uyghur men back to China, where human rights organizations allege they face the threat of torture and severe punishment. The deportations occurred just hours after activists expressed their concerns publicly, highlighting the vulnerable status of the Uyghurs, a Muslim minority group that has endured systemic persecution within China.

The men were among over 300 Uyghur asylum seekers who fled from China in 2014, seeking refuge in Thailand as a transit nation towards Turkey, where they could join an established Uyghur community. However, more than 40 of these individuals found themselves detained for over ten years in a Bangkok immigration facility. Fearing imminent deportation, some of the detainees staged a hunger strike last month to draw attention to their predicament.

At approximately 2 a.m. on Thursday, eyewitnesses reported the sight of six trucks, their windows shrouded by black coverings, departing an immigration detention center in downtown Bangkok, escorted by multiple police vehicles. Subsequent tracking indicated an unscheduled China Southern Airlines flight that took off for Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang often associated with Uyghur demographics, landing early afternoon local time.

Human rights advocates, including representatives from No Business With Genocide, confirmed the deportation and implored the international community to act against Thailand's decision. Human Rights Watch criticized the Thai government for breaching both domestic and international laws, stating, “The men now face a high risk of torture, enforced disappearance, and long-term imprisonment in China,” according to Asia director Elaine Pearson.

In the wake of the controversy, responses from the Thai police and foreign ministries remained elusive despite multiple inquiries. Meanwhile, Chinese state media have reported the repatriation as compliant with applicable laws and international practices, yet refrained from providing specific information about the deportees or their ultimate destinations within China. The unfolding situation continues to raise questions about Thailand’s commitments to human rights standards amid increasing pressure from activist groups worldwide.