US Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the Government of Thailand on Thursday for deporting at least 40 Uyghurs back to China, where Washington says the Muslim minority faces acts of genocide.
Thailand, a long-time ally of the United States, proceeded with the deportation despite warnings from UN human rights experts. These experts cautioned that returning the Uyghurs, who had been detained in Thailand for a decade, could expose them to torture, abuse, and “irreparable harm.”
Rights groups and several Western governments have accused China of extensive mistreatment of the Uyghur minority , which numbers around 10 million in Xinjiang. Beijing denies these allegations, claiming no wrongdoing.
“We strongly condemn Thailand’s decision to forcibly return at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where their rights are routinely violated, and they face persecution, forced labour, and torture,” Rubio said in a statement.
Rubio also warned that Thailand might be violating its obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture and other international agreements. He urged Thai authorities to “ensure ongoing verification” that China’s government respects the human rights of Uyghurs.
“We call on all nations to avoid forcibly sending Uyghurs back to China, where they risk serious harm,” Rubio added.
As a senator, Rubio was a vocal advocate for Uyghur rights. He reaffirmed that the treatment of the Uyghur community by Beijing constitutes “genocide and crimes against humanity,” a determination first made by the United States in early 2021, towards the end of President Donald Trump’s term.
The Biden administration has upheld this stance, further aggravating tensions between Washington and Beijing. The issue remains a contentious point in US-China relations. During Rubio’s January confirmation hearings, he stated his intention to use the strong US-Thailand relationship to prevent future deportations of Uyghurs.
China has denied allegations of forced labour and abuse of Uyghurs, claiming it established “vocational training centres” to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
The Thai embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, China’s embassy stated the deportations were “conducted in line with the laws of China and Thailand, as well as international norms.”
The embassy also insisted that those deported’s “legitimate rights and interests” were fully protected.
“We strongly oppose the misuse of human rights claims to interfere in China’s internal matters or to disrupt international law enforcement cooperation,” said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, in an emailed statement.
Concerns about the deportations grew on Thursday after media outlets shared photos and reports of trucks with blacked-out windows leaving Bangkok’s immigration detention centre, where 48 Uyghurs had been held.
The 48 were part of a group of 300 who fled China and were detained in Thailand in 2014. While some were sent to China and others to Turkey, the rest remained in Thai custody.
Later Thursday morning, an unscheduled China Southern Airlines flight left Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport and landed in Kashgar, Xinjiang, approximately six hours later, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24.
Thailand’s Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated that the repatriation adhered to international standards. He added that China had assured Thailand the deported individuals would be properly treated.
