Thailand should be commended for Uyghur deportation, deputy PM says

28/2/2025 17:22

Thailand should be commended for its handling of its return of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China, a deputy premier said on Friday, as his country endured a torrent of international condemnation over its secretive deportation.



The 40 Uyghurs who had been held in Thailand for a decade were sent back to China in a pre-dawn operation on Thursday, defying calls from United Nations human rights experts who said they would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned.



The European Union and the U.N. refugee agency said Thailand had clearly violated its international obligations, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed alarm at the forced return of Uyghurs by a U.S. ally to a country where he said the ethnic minority had faced genocide, forced labour and crimes against humanity.



Thai ministers on Friday said measures were being taken to ensure the wellbeing of those returned, including periodic inspections starting from next week.

"Thailand should be commended for managing this problem," Defence Minister and deputy premier Phumtham Wechayachai told a press conference.



Phumtham said the Uyghurs returned voluntarily and Thailand had received reassurance from China they would be cared for and not mistreated.