BANGKOK — Thai officials have confirmed the deportation of 40 Uyghurs to China on Thursday, ending an 11-year detention period that had been the subject of international scrutiny and human rights concerns.
“Thai authorities have already handed over 40 Uyghurs to Chinese officials,” confirmed Police General Kittirat Phanpetch, the National Police Chief. Despite being urged by human rights groups not to do this, the police chief claimed that “Chinese authorities had provided written assurances that all deported Uyghurs would be safe.”
According to General Kittirat, the deportees included 40 Uyghurs who were arrested 11 years ago and had been under Immigration Bureau custody throughout that period, along with 8 additional Chinese nationals who had violated Thai laws. The operation on February 28 was conducted jointly by the Royal Thai Police and the National Security Council, following formal communication between the Chinese and Thai governments.
When questioned about the secretive nature of the transfer—using unmarked, fully covered vehicles that weren’t official police vehicles—General Kittirat explained: “The entire deportation process employed technical and tactical measures to ensure safety, order, and human rights considerations, allowing the Uyghurs to reach their destination safely. The late-night timing was chosen to avoid disrupting public traffic and to enable more effective control.”
Addressing concerns about potential retaliatory violence similar to the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing at Bangkok’s Ratchaprasong intersection, General Kittirat stated: “The Royal Thai Police and security agencies have implemented preventive measures to protect citizens and important locations to avoid complacency and prevent similar incidents. The Uyghur transfer was completed smoothly without any forced compliance or resistance. Police officers supervised each vehicle to ensure appropriate handling.”
The police chief also requested public understanding: “If we continued detaining them, we would face human rights criticism, but now that we’ve released them back [to China], we’re being questioned about whether proper procedures were followed. Please understand that police prioritize the nation’s interests.”
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported Thursday that “40 Chinese illegal immigrants” had been repatriated, quoting a police official who said they had been ”deceived by criminal organizations” and stranded in Thailand. Photos of those repatriated by China and shared by the embassy appeared to show people of Uyghur ethnicity.
Later on Thursday evening, six high-ranking Thai officials including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Phumtham Wechayachai, Minister of Justice Pol. Col. Tawee Sodsong, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Sa-nguanpong, and other senior government representatives held a joint press conference at the Ministry of Justice regarding the Uyghur deportation.
They affirmed the deportation followed international protocols and Thai law, stating the deportees had committed no serious crimes and would receive proper care and employment in China. They promised ongoing monitoring of their conditions, with the Justice Minister planning a personal inspection within the first week.
Phumtham explained that China had formally requested the return of its citizens. He noted that previously, Thailand had sent 109 Uyghur detainees—women, children, and elderly—to Turkey 10 years ago. He stated that every year, Thailand has attempted to find third countries to accept the remaining Uyghurs, but throughout the past decade, no third country has agreed to take them.
Thai authorities therefore decided it was best to repatriate these detainees, but only under negotiated terms ensuring their welfare. He affirmed that all individuals willingly consented to return, though he could not speak to their reasons. Regarding the nighttime transfer and limited disclosure of details, he explained this was to prevent disruption during the process.
Police General Kraiboon Suadsong, Deputy Commissioner General of the Royal Thai Police, added that important documents had been translated into the Uyghur language, which helped secure the Uyghurs’ voluntary consent to return. He stated that hospital examinations found no wounds or indications of abuse, and the repatriation was carried out smoothly.
The press conference also shared photographs of the repatriated Uyghurs, which were the same images that the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok posted on Facebook, showing the 40 ethnic Uyghurs had been repatriated to China and reunited with their families.
International Concerns
According to the Associated Press, “Last month, the detained men made a public appeal to halt what they called an imminent threat of deportation, saying they faced imprisonment and possible death in China. Several Thai lawmakers called on the Thai government to halt any plans for deportation.”
The Uyghur detainees have presented a complex diplomatic challenge for Thailand, caught between China (its largest trading partner) and the United States (its traditional military ally).
“Beijing claims the Uyghurs are jihadists, but has not presented evidence of that. Uyghur activists and Western politicians say the men are innocent and have repeatedly expressed alarm over their possible deportation, saying they face persecution, imprisonment, and possible death in China,” the AP reported.
Discussions about deportation reportedly resumed after Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra took office last year. According to AP sources, Thai officials began secretly discussing plans following Prime Minister Paetongtarn’s meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last December.
International pressure increased after the AP reported on these discussions in January, prompting statements of concern from the United Nations special rapporteur on torture and various officials from Japan, the United States, and European countries.
Just this week, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee members Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen warned, “These men face torture, imprisonment, and even death upon return to China,” calling the deportation “ill-advised” and noting that the U.S. had proposed alternative solutions.
Rayhan Asat, an attorney who had petitioned the UN to block the deportation, warned: “If the deportation occurs, Thailand will effectively issue death sentences, thereby aiding and abetting the Chinese government in committing atrocities.”
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