This week’s Thai government’s trip to Xinjiang, China, to check on the well-being of the 40 Uyghurs deported back to China was meant to reassure the public, and the West, that all is well with the “returnees”. Instead, the Thai government had to repeatedly reassure the public that the two-day trip wasn’t a “staged event”.
The Thai government, from Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham to the government spokesperson Jirayu Huangsab, insist that the trip to visit the Uyghurs was not staged.
In reality, it’s not necessary for anyone to act out a lie. Simply selecting Uyghurs who are more cooperative, filter media reporting, and it’s done. The Thai government wants to shake off the accusations from the US, UN, and EU that they are putting the 40 Uyghur lives at risk, and thus more than ready to believe, or portray themselves as believing, in whatever they see in China.
A Thai journalist following this story told me that the Chinese authorities “requested” to review the photos and videos taken by Thai journalists in Xinjiang prior to the publication, blurring faces, and the Thai public ended up getting the same information because all questions and answers had to go through two rounds of translation.
He then asked me, “So why bring so many news outlets to Xinjiang?” (I thought to myself: the answer is to make it look realistic, neutral, and grand.)
I try to look at it in the most positive light: probably most of the 40 Uyghurs in the group were used as a PR tool for the Chinese government and were treated fairly well, thus helping to cover up the overall Uyghur human rights issue. (Or they didn’t dare speak their true feelings to the Thai delegation because they were being watched by the Chinese government, and answers had to go through two rounds of translation.)
And the Thai government was also used as a PR tool for China in this matter.
In this sense, it can be understoofd that many parties were willing participants, and not forced to stage anything.
It’s most unlikely that China sent a script for the Thai government to follow because China already anticipated that this wasn’t a genuine fact-finding mission but a friendly PR visit, as the Thai government doesn’t dare to oppose China and sees no benefit in expressing differing views from China. And because the Thai side wants to clear its name, it’s important that the two sides cooperate for mutual benefits.
Intentionally or not, one might consider the deportation of Uyghurs and the defence of the Chinese government a major gift to China on this year’s 50th anniversary of Sino-Thai relations.
What has become clear from the Thai government’s repatriation of 40 Uyghurs to China is that Thailand has been caught in a predicament, finding itself on the same boat as China, and has inadvertently become a country that helps defend and justify China’s actions regarding the Uyghurs. Because if the Thai government were to acknowledge that human rights violations have indeed occurred, it would be tantamount to the Thai government being complicit in colluding with China’s human rights abuses. In fact, this week saw a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson defending the Thai government’s decision.
As such, the trip to China, led by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham, cannot be regarded as a fact-finding mission.
China, of course, will fully engage in PR or stage events, which is not surprising. Because even when the Thai Prime Minister herself visits the three southern provinces, Thai officials arrange things to show the Prime Minister only positive aspects in the deep south, without allowing her to meet or speak with those who desire an independent Pattani.
This visit to Xinjiang undoubtedly made the Chinese government happy, as the Thai government is now on the same boat and vouching for Beijing and promoting China’s narrative on the Uyghur issue, willingly or not. On the other hand, Thailand is moving further into the geopolitical orbit, or China’s sphere of influence, and closer to becoming a client state of China even though the Thai government likely wouldn’t dare to vouch for the conducts of Russia or Israel on human rights issue, the Thai government is now finding herself defending China.
As for why the Chinese government wouldn’t allow the 40 Uyghurs to seek asylum in a third country, the answer likely lies in China’s desire to demonstrate to Uyghurs in Xinjiang that no matter where and how hard you try to flee, there is virtually nowhere in the world, or at least in Chinese sphere of influence, where you can seek refuge.
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