Thai politics: Did a fake village hide true story of the Uighurs' fate?

[webfact]

BURNING ISSUE
Did a fake village hide true story of the Uighurs' fate?
SUPALAK GANJANAKHUNDEE
THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- NATIONAL Security Council Secretary-General Anusit Kunakorn lamented the fact that he wasted time, money and resources travelling to China to examine the Potemkin village built for the Uighur Muslims who were deported from Thailand.

NATIONAL Security Council Secretary-General Anusit Kunakorn lamented the fact that he wasted time, money and resources travelling to China to examine the Potemkin village built for the Uighur Muslims who were deported from Thailand.

But human rights activists have taken with a pinch of salt his assertion that the repatriated Muslims are being treated appropriately because his account of their circumstances could not be verified.

Anusit visited China on July 15 at the invitation of Beijing officials to verify that the 109 repatriated Uighur Muslims were being treated well in China as promised. He returned on Sunday and reported that the Chinese were as good as their word.

The mission was to confirm what the Thai authorities believed to be the good treatment China had provided the Turkic ethnic group after strong criticism and condemnation from the international community over their forced deportation.

At a press briefing on Monday, the security chief repeated what Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Anusit himself had said again and again: China guaranteed their safety and treated them in accordance with human rights principles and international practice.

Anusit said he met high-level Chinese officials and saw the rehabilitation centre in the Western province of Xinjiang's Urumqi where he said economic development offered better lives for the Uighurs. The province has 20,000 mosques and 26 universities for the Muslim minority, he said.

Anusit did not say whether he remembered all of the 109 returned Uighurs but claimed he met a man called Abdullah Mudsmad (sic) - who is believed to be one of the 109 Uighurs. The man told the Thai official that he was lured to migrate from home for a better life. He sold his properties for the adventure before being arrested in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani and deported. The man promised Anusit he would teach his children not to think about leaving home.

All 109 returned Uighurs were held in the rehabilitation centre in Urumqi, preparing for the return to their community, according to Anusit. The men and women were housed separately and they were divided into groups according to their behaviour, he said. Each group was classified by colours: orange for those suspected of terrorism; blue for other crimes; and green for normal illegal migrants.

"They are in the process of investigation and attitude adjustment before returning to normal lives or prosecution," he said. Unless they had committed crime, they would be freed, he said. For those who had sold all their properties, the Chinese government would allocate lands for farming and housing.

In contrast to what the Thai officials had said earlier, Anusit said the Chinese government had not allowed any international organisations or representatives of foreign governments to see the Uighur.

Only Thailand deserved the special privilege of meeting them, he said.

Anusit blamed mainstream and social media for reporting false information that might damage the country's reputation and security. Strong criticism and condemnation from the international community was the result of international politics between China and Western countries. However, Thailand did its best in deporting the Uighurs, he said.

Anusit said the government was communicating with Chinese authorities on the remaining 60 Uighurs and promised to handle them with care to avoid international pressure.

As the public doubted his message, Anusit said he used his position as NSC secretary general - which expires at the end of September after his retirement - to receive credit for Thailand.

Human rights activists on social media said that as Anusit had failed to provide independent observers with full access to the Uighurs before their repatriation, it was difficult to verify and identify the people the Thai officials had met in China.

As long as there was no third party, the Thai and Chinese officials could say anything they wanted about the Uighurs as both sides had equal credibility on the matter and on human rights practices.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Did-a-fake-village-hide-true-story-of-the-Uighurs--30264952.html

-- The Nation 2015-07-22

[Somtamnication]

There you have it! Solved!

[impulse]

reported that the Chinese were as good as their word.

That says it all... Freudian slip.

[NongKhaiKid]

A Thai official gets an overseas trip, was no doubt well looked after by the Chinese for obvious reasons, then returns home to say it was a waste of time, money and resources ?

[PatOngo]

A Thai official gets an overseas trip, was no doubt well looked after by the Chinese for obvious reasons, then returns home to say it was a waste of time, money and resources ?

.............and low and behold, the masses were sympathetic to his inconvenience.

[chingmai331]

And please, Mr. Anusit, take this envelope, a small token of our esteem.

[Bluespunk]

"Anusit did not say whether he remembered all of the 109 returned Uighurs but claimed he met a man called Abdullah Mudsmad (sic) - who is believed to be one of the 109 Uighurs. The man told the Thai official that he was lured to migrate from home for a better life. He sold his properties for the adventure before being arrested in Thailand's Ubon Ratchathani and deported. The man promised Anusit he would teach his children not to think about leaving home."

Yeah, right.

Edited July 22, 2015 by Bluespunk

[boomerangutang]

He also did a side trip to a riverside town where he was shown a place in the mountains where a person can put a hand in the water, and still see the hand at arm's length under the water. His Chinese minder told him that all Chinese rivers were similarly clean. Now the Thai official can report with confidence that all Chinese rivers are as clean as his backyard fish pond.

[Bluespunk]

"NATIONAL Security Council Secretary-General Anusit Kunakorn lamented the fact that he wasted time, money and resources travelling to China to examine the Potemkin village built for the Uighur Muslims who were deported from Thailand."

Sounds familiar.....I believe the nazis had a similar camp

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theresienstadt_(film)

Edited July 22, 2015 by Bluespunk

[noitom]

A Thai official gets an overseas trip, was no doubt well looked after by the Chinese for obvious reasons, then returns home to say it was a waste of time, money and resources ?

And nothing he said could be verified.

[HiSoLowSoNoSo]

"Thai and Chinese officials could say anything they wanted about the Uighurs as both sides had equal credibility on the matter and on human rights practices".

Add North Korea and you got a new Asian axis for credibility on human rights.

[MZurf]

A Thai official gets an overseas trip, was no doubt well looked after by the Chinese for obvious reasons, then returns home to say it was a waste of time, money and resources ?

I wonder if his carry on luggage got checked in Swampy.....

[Seastallion]

A Thai official gets an overseas trip, was no doubt well looked after by the Chinese for obvious reasons, then returns home to say it was a waste of time, money and resources ?

And nothing he said could be verified.

BECAUSE nothing he said could be verified.

It was a waste because people don't believe him or people don't believe he wasn't duped.

[Tatsujin]

A Thai official gets an overseas trip, was no doubt well looked after by the Chinese for obvious reasons, then returns home to say it was a waste of time, money and resources ?

With the implication being that he did not need to make the trip because the Chinese had promised already that the Uighurs were being well looked after and that "people" should not question this as it turned out to be true and therefore wasted his time with the trip. From now on, Thailand will simply take everything China says as "the truth" and not question it in any way, shape or form.

And note: "Only Thailand deserved the special privilege of meeting them."

Says it all. Thailand ... soon to become the 34th Chinese Division/Region.

[BSJ]

When it boils down to the bare facts, I don't give a hoot what happens to the Uighurs.

[Rykbanlor]

When it boils down to the bare facts, I don't give a hoot what happens to the Uighurs.

Thanks for sharing.

[masquerade]

When it boils down to the bare facts, I don't give a hoot what happens to the Uighurs.

And when it all boils down to bare facts, nobody gives a crap about any of your comments. Now does that make you feel better, helps with your insecurity.

[Eric Loh]

A fake visit, fake village and a fake report. Kind of sum up this administration. Bunch of fakes.

[AlQaholic]

"They are in the process of investigation and attitude adjustment...."

This thing about attitude adjustment, it must be an Asian thing because I have never heard about it before I came here. Do they really believe it is possible to adjust the attitude of a person? really?

Another interesting thing is that it is the Nation that is doing this article, another sign of the rift widening......

Edited July 22, 2015 by AlQaholic

[oneday]

"...Only Thailand deserved the special privilege of meeting them, he said..."

We all know why that is. Either they are the easiest to fool or, more likely, because they are happy to spin whatever story China wants because they a new "best buds".

[roobaa01]

europe should doo the same sent all illegals home, which are not classified as refugees under the geneva convention article 1.

wbr

roobaa01

[Bluespunk]

When it boils down to the bare facts, I don't give a hoot what happens to the Uighurs.

Science may have found a cure for most evils; but it has found no remedy for the worst of them all -- the apathy of human beings.

Helen Keller

Edited July 22, 2015 by Bluespunk

[Bluespunk]

europe should doo the same sent all illegals home, which are not classified as refugees under the geneva convention article 1.

wbr

roobaa01

People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.

Søren Kierkegaard

[Kannikapor88]

Are there anything real in this country or just fake fake fake and getting worse by the day ...

[Thai at Heart]

Did he take a picture?

[wabothai]

When it boils down to the bare facts, I don't give a hoot what happens to the Uighurs.

Thanks for sharing.

sometimes it is hard to recognize BSJ's sarcasm.

[bassman]

"NATIONAL Security Council Secretary-General Anusit Kunakorn lamented the fact that he wasted time, money and resources travelling to China to examine the Potemkin village built for the Uighur Muslims who were deported from Thailand.

All 109 returned Uighurs were held in the rehabilitation centre in Urumqi"

I wonder how long rehabilitation will last before they are settled in Potemkin village? And no mention of the conditions in the rehab center.

[fxe1200]

Did he take a picture?

No, photos were not allowed.

[farangmick]

Why don't the world's Muslim countries take in all these people, whether Uighurs, those folk from Myanmar, or the hordes from Africa and the Middle East descending on Europe. They are quick enough to go ballistic at any perceived insult to Islam from infidels. If a small country like Israel can welcome all Jews who want to live there, Why can't they do the same with Muslims? No one else wants them.

[roobaa01]

the best policy is the australian one, keep em out, put in boats sent em whoop hoop, well done oz go for it.

or i think they ll be released swiftly after having learnt, that pork eating is part of chinese integration policy as well as wearing no bag on the head.

wbr

roobaa01