Thailand, February 27th, 2025 – Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, held a press conference, addressing the controversial deportation of 40 Uyghur detainees to China.
He emphasized that the repatriation followed legal protocols, including Thailand’s anti-torture and enforced disappearance laws. The Thai government assured that China had officially requested the return and pledged to provide safety, employment, and family reunification for the deported individuals.
The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim ethnic group native to Xinjiang, a region in northwestern China. In recent years, China has faced international criticism over its alleged treatment of Uyghurs, with reports of mass detentions, forced labor, and human rights abuses in so-called “re-education camps,” noted TPN.
Uyghur repatriations are highly controversial because many human rights groups and activists fear that returnees could face persecution, imprisonment, or worse upon their return to China. Human rights groups have repeatedly urged countries, including Thailand, to avoid deporting Uyghurs to China, arguing that doing so violates international laws against forced repatriation, noted TPN.
China’s government, however, through their own Embassy pages, insists that Uyghurs are being reintegrated into society through vocational programs, but critics remain skeptical about their safety and rights, noted TPN.
Phumtham confirmed that the Uyghurs had been in detention for roughly ten years after being caught entering Thailand without proper documentation while fleeing China, apparently trying to reach another country, with Thailand attempting to find a third country for them for relocation, but claimed that after a decade without success, repatriation was deemed the best option. He stressed that the returnees left voluntarily, according to him, and that Thai officials would monitor their well-being, with Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong set to visit them within seven days.
Thai immigration police stated that the deportation process was conducted without force, with all detainees ultimately agreeing to return. Meanwhile, five Uyghur detainees remain in Thai prisons due to escape attempts and will be considered for repatriation upon completing their sentences in 2029.
Thai National Security Council Secretary-General Chatchai Bangchuad, speaking from China, reported that returnees were met by family members and taken to vocational training centers.
He would also visit Uyghurs deported a decade ago and confirm their well-being on February 28th. Thai authorities reiterated that the process was different from forced repatriations, with no restraints used during transit.
The Thai government admitted delays in addressing public concerns, citing the mission’s high-level secrecy and the need to ensure the safety of the returnees.
Human rights activists, meanwhile, have universally expressed their opposition to the move in the strongest possible terms and their skepticism to the claims and statements made by the Thai and Chinese government. The US has also issued their stern disagreement with the deportation.
