‘No plans’ to send Uyghurs back to China, say Thai police
Thailand's police have denied plans to deport 48 detained Uyghurs to China, following mounting international calls to halt their return due to concerns over potential torture. The group, detained since 2014, fled China's Xinjiang province, home to the Uyghur ethnic minority.
- Asia
- Anadolu Agency
- Published Date: 03:41 | 22 January 2025
- Modified Date: 03:47 | 22 January 2025
Police in Thailand Wednesday claimed they do "not" have any plans to deport 48 Uyghur ethnic community members back to China.
The clarification from the Royal Thai Police comes amid growing calls on Thailand to abort any plan to send back some 48 incarcerated Uyghurs to China.
Thai police chief Kittharath Punpetch said the agency has "not received any report of a plan to deport the Uyghurs," daily Bangkok Post reported.
"Thailand is not a moderator for any legal wrangling. However, (the Royal Thai Police) is ready to work with any embassies or agencies if they request our assistance," said Kittharath, adding that the issue needs to be discussed with the National Security Council of Thailand.
Some 48 Uyghur community members have been detained under "inhumane" conditions in Thailand since 2014 after fleeing the northwestern Xinjiang province of China, home to the majority of the Uyghur community.
Notably, calls against deportation of the incarcerated Uyghurs have grown in recent weeks.
UN experts Tuesday called on Thailand to "immediately halt the possible transfer" of the Uyghurs to China, warning that the group was at "real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment if they are returned."
Separately, Human Rights Watch urged Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to "end this abusive cycle by immediately releasing the detained Uyghurs and allowing them to travel to a safe third country."
Reacting to unfolding developments in Bangkok, China said Wednesday that the "question concerns judiciary cooperation between two sovereign nations."
The UN experts "should adhere to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, as well as the code of conduct for special mechanisms," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing, urging them against "interfering" in the judicial sovereignty of UN member states.
Xinjiang is home to more than 10 million Uyghurs. The Turkic Muslim group, which makes up around 45% of the region's population, has long accused China of cultural, religious, and economic discrimination. Beijing denies the charge.