Thai PM says human rights principles must be followed

27/2/2025 15:17

Thailand's premier said on Thursday international standards and human rights principles must be followed, responding to activists' concerns that 48 Uyghurs held in the country for more than a decade had been secretly deported to China.



Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra did not confirm an extradition had taken place when asked about the status of the 48 Uyghurs and said she had yet to discuss the issue with officials.



"This sort of issue, for any country, one has to follow the law, international process and human rights," Paetongtarn told reporters, without elaborating. United Nations human rights experts last month urged Thailand not to send the 48 Uyghurs back to China, warning they were at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned.



Early on Thursday, several trucks with windows covered in black tape were seen leaving the Bangkok immigration centre where the 48 Uyghurs have been held.



Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang. Beijing denies any abuses.