Immigration Detention Centre. Picture courtesy: NDTV

 

Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has made a firm statement denying any plans to deport Uyghur refugees to China, amidst rising concerns and pressures from international bodies.

 

On Friday, Phumtham addressed a Facebook post by Fair Party's MP Kanawee Suebsaeng which suggested that the deportation issue was on the agenda of the National Security Council (NSC) meeting. Phumtham questioned the origin of Kanawee's information, confirming that while the matter was mentioned at the meeting, there are no immediate deportation plans.

 

This situation gained attention after the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees voiced apprehensions regarding the potential deportation of Uyghurs. Phumtham reiterated that any steps taken would be firmly rooted in Thailand's legal frameworks to prevent international disputes. Officials have been instructed to carefully assess and ensure all actions are compliant with both national and international law.

 

Currently, the focus is on 48 Uyghur detainees held in a Bangkok immigration centre. The saga of Uyghur refugees in Thailand dates back to 2015 when mass deportations to Turkey and China sparked global criticism. Cautious after the backlash, Thailand has since been reluctant to make any bold moves concerning Uyghur asylum seekers.

The group "Save Uyghurs," allied with Justice For All, issued a stark warning to the Thai government on 10th January, calling for the cessation of deportation plans. Their statement highlighted the risk to the Uyghurs' lives, should they be sent back to China, a move they believe would grossly violate international human rights conventions.

 

Recent reports from Justice For All suggest that Uyghur detainees in Bangkok claim pressure from Thai officials to fill out deportation paperwork, initially framed as a voluntary measure. This process reportedly intensified on 9th January, leading to detainees undertaking a hunger strike in protest.

 

The detainees are part of an initial group of approximately 300 Uyghurs who fled China's Xinjiang region in 2013, seeking asylum. They have been living in detention in Thailand for nearly a decade, their fate unresolved as the government navigates international pressures and local legal stipulations.

 

Though Phumtham has dismissed any imminent deportation actions, the presence of the Office of the Attorney-General at the NSC meeting suggests that legal frameworks and options are actively being reviewed.

 

This development underlines the complexity and sensitive nature of the situation, as Thailand remains under scrutiny from the global community. The government's next steps are likely to be closely watched, both domestically and internationally, reported The Nation.

 

-- 2025-01-18

 

 

If the Thai minister deports the UYGHURS,he will issue a death sentence to them. Freedom for UYGHURS. Let Thailand not do what the USA did to INDIAN tribes in the USA.

On 1/18/2025 at 5:51 AM, webfact said:

Thai Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has made a firm statement denying any plans to deport Uyghur refugees to China, amidst rising concerns and pressures from international bodies

The old back-flip.

Since when does the Thai government actually make plans and implement them? Seems so much is by seat of the pants decisions and then try to mop up mess later. Prime example was legalizing pot.... they seem incapable of seeing to the end of the drive way, let alone down the road

These hapless migrants have been incarcerated for almost ten years because of Thai gov't inaction and cowardice... caught between a rock and a hard place, the US and China.

Whatever the Thais do will offend one of their Big Brothers.

Now Li'l Marco has spoken up and scared the pee out of them. No telling what the new administration in Washington will do about this issue.

The Thais should have sent them all off to Turkey (where they are welcome) a long time ago and China be damned.

But no, they have been pussy-whipped and find it very hard to act independently.