Thailand has deported 40 undocumented immigrants to China, according to Chinese state media, following warnings from human rights organizations that Thailand was planning to return several Uyghur men fleeing persecution in China. The Uyghurs, who are a Muslim minority group facing potential torture and long-term imprisonment upon their return, were among over 300 Uyghur asylum seekers who fled China in 2014. They hoped to use Thailand as a transit point to reach Turkey’s Uyghur community. However, many of them ended up detained in Bangkok for over a decade. In January, some of the men went on a hunger strike due to fears of being repatriated to China. Early on Thursday, six vehicles covered with black cloth left an immigration detention center in Bangkok, with police cars accompanying them. An unscheduled China Southern Airlines flight later departed from Bangkok to Kashgar in Xinjiang, where Uyghurs originate from. Evidence suggests that at least 40 men were deported. Human Rights Watch criticized Thailand for violating its obligations and stated that the men now face a high risk of torture, enforced disappearance, and imprisonment in China.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/world/asia/thailand-china-uyghurs.html