Two Uyghur men currently being held incommunicado face imminent deportation from Thailand to China, according to a Thai civil society network in a briefing note dated 29 October and sent to Khaosod English on Friday night.
The briefing note stated:
“Both men, one of whom was a child when first detained in 2014, were initially held in immigration detention. They were later held in Bangkok Central Prison for offences related to an escape attempt in January 2020. The two men received royal pardons under a decree published in the Royal Gazette on 2 June 2026 and were transferred to the Bangkok Immigration Detention Center (IDC) Suan Phlu on 21 October 2026.”
The network called on the Thai government to “halt any imminent forced return to China,” adding that “The two men face the real risk of torture and indefinite detention as per well-documented allegations of persecution, torture and other serious human rights violations against Uyghurs, in and returning to Xinjiang.”
They urge Thailand to uphold the principle of non-refoulement under Section 13 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act B.E. 2565 (2022) and not send them back to China.
Thailand should safeguard decision-making “from undue external influence; diplomatic assurances do not discharge non-refoulement obligations,” the note said.
It also called for unimpeded, independent and confidential access to legal counsel, civil society and the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT), as well as access to international protection, including UNHCR registration and refugee status determination, and expedited efforts to secure a durable solution through third-country resettlement.
Thailand, the network added, should bear in mind Article 3 of the Convention against Torture, to which Thailand is a party. It states: “States must not expel, return or extradite a person to another State where there are substantial grounds for believing that the person would be in danger of being subjected to torture. The prohibition of refoulement also arises under other applicable international human rights obligations, including where there is a real risk of irreparable harm.”
“They have been detained in Thailand for over 12 years. Their previously projected release date was 20 July 2027. Notably neither has reportedly received formal written notification concerning the implementation of the pardon or any subsequent measures affecting his legal status.”
The note said the names of the two men at immediate risk of refoulement could be shared. The two are part of a group of five Uyghur men, three of whom remain at Bangkok Central Prison serving the remainder of their sentences for offences related to the 2020 escape attempt.
“These two men are being held incommunicado and face imminent deportation to China where they face a real risk of torture and enforced disappearance. While in prison, the men had access to legal counsel, and their lawyers hold written documentation that they do not consent to return to China. It is also reported that these men applied to UNHCR for international protection.
”Since their transfer to the Immigration Detention Centre, no visits have been permitted, whether by lawyers, rights organisations or the NHRCT. Requests for access have been referred to a higher level within the Immigration Bureau and have gone unanswered, with no formal refusal issued.
“There is a serious risk that they will continue to be held incommunicado, as a previous group of 40 Uyghur men were for more than a decade before their refoulement on 27 February 2025.
”Their future is expected to be decided at a National Security Council (NSC) meeting, likely on Monday 2 November 2026. In 2025, it was an NSC meeting decision that designated the 40 men for return to China. The outcome could be forcible return through a range of legal or policy avenues, or approval for third-country resettlement.”
The Thai CSO has noted the following key concerns:
“Imminent risk of refoulement. Under the Immigration Act B.E. 2522, the two men are now held under Section 54 as aliens awaiting deportation. Section 55 gives immigration officials the power to remove them from Thailand, which means deportation could take place at any moment. On 27 February 2025, 40 men were forcibly returned to China despite repeated concerns from UN experts, UNHCR, governments and Thai parliamentarians and civil society. The removal was carried out without notice, overnight, by charter flight, and with no independent access to the men.
‘New Deportation Regulation. The Prime Minister’s Office Regulation on Deportation B.E. 2569 (2026), entered into force on 28 August 2026. An informal English translation of the regulation is shared with this briefing note. This regulation sets out procedures for deporting foreign nationals from Thailand, including provisions allowing their transfer to third countries. Under Clause 8 of the Regulation, a third country or an international organization may submit a request through diplomatic channels to the Royal Thai Government to receive an individual subject to a deportation order, particularly where their return to their country of origin may expose them to risks of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, or enforced disappearance. Such requests must be submitted within seven days of the issuance of the deportation order and are subject to the individual’s written consent and the requesting party’s agreement to cover the associated costs. The Regulation further provides that the transfer to any such third country should be completed within 30 days, subject to a maximum of two extensions of up to 30 days each, as authorized by the Minister of Interior.
As per clause 6 of the regulation, the issuing of an order to deport any foreign national from the Kingdom must comply with laws, regulations and the cabinet resolutions as well as commitments under relevant international laws. This regulation does provide a potential pathway for third-country resettlement; however, its implementation remains untested and subject to strict procedural requirements and timelines.”
It also noted that external pressure is being applied by China.
“The Chinese authorities have reportedly followed up with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs repeating the request to repatriate the two men, and the Chinese Ambassador met the new NSC Secretary-General on 27 October 2026.
“Incommunicado detention — lack of access. The two men have no access to their lawyers, phone calls or visits from NHRCT. The men have not had access to either UNCHRs refugee status determination procedure nor are they eligible to apply to Thailand’s national screening mechanism. It is of note that the 40 Uyghur men deported on 27 February 2025 were held at the Bangkok Immigration Detention Centre were held incommunicado in harsh conditions with inadequate medical care and nutrition.”
The note also contain the following details and recommendations for the Thai government.
It called on authorities to adopt the recommendations of the 28 October 2025 National Human Rights Commission investigation that the five Uyghurs remaining in Thai detention should not be returned.
The NHRCT concluded that the forced return of 40 Uyghur men in February 2025 violated the principle of non-refoulement, the Convention against Torture (CAT) and Section 13 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act B.E. 2565 (2022). The state never showed evidence that the returns were voluntary.
The NHRCT recommended that the government and the NSC assess any steps concerning the five remaining Uyghur men, including these two individuals, through a careful and comprehensive assessment of the situation, including that of the Uyghurs already deported. Resettlement in a third country should also be considered.
Recommendations for diplomatic missions included raising the case with Thai counterparts such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NSC before any final decision is taken; raising the case at the UPR review taking place on 9 November 2026; signalling or formally renewing willingness to receive the two men for resettlement; requesting that UNHCR, the NHRCT and legal counsel be granted confidential, independent access to the men; and coordinating with like-minded missions so concerns are conveyed consistently.
The men have been held in Thai detention for more than 12 years. They were part of a larger group of more than 350 Uyghur women, men and children fleeing persecution in China who were detained in Thailand near the Malaysian border in March 2014.
In June 2015, Thailand allowed 172 women and children from the group to travel to Türkiye. Within weeks, it deported at least 109 people to China, of whom nothing has been heard since.
The remaining Uyghurs were held in immigration detention centres across Thailand in what the note described as de facto incommunicado detention, without access to legal representation or NGOs and with inadequate medical care, nutrition and opportunities for exercise. Five members of the group died.
On 7 January 2025, China issued a request to repatriate 45 Uyghur men to China as a single group.
On 27 February 2025, the Thai government forcibly deported 40 of the men to the People’s Republic of China despite warnings that they could face arbitrary detention, torture and enforced disappearance.
The men had repeatedly appealed to the international community for resettlement because they feared forced return, detention and mistreatment in China. In a published letter on 11 January 2025, a little more than a month before their deportation, they pleaded: “we could be imprisoned, and we might even lose our lives. We urgently appeal to all international organisations and countries concerned with human rights to intervene immediately to save us from this tragic fate.”