The United States has recently implemented visa restrictions on several Thai officials due to the deportation of 40 Uyghurs back to China last month. This move is seen as a rare form of punishment for countries that have repatriated individuals from a persecuted Muslim minority despite warnings of potential mistreatment. The visa restrictions will affect former and current Thai officials involved in or supportive of the forced repatriation, limiting their ability to travel to the United States. The State Department has not disclosed the names of the officials, citing confidentiality.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the United States’ commitment to combating China’s efforts to pressure governments into forcefully returning Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they are at risk of torture and enforced disappearance. The visa restrictions were announced a day after the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning the deportation and urging Thailand to stop any further forced returns of refugees to countries where their lives are at risk.
These dual announcements could further complicate matters for the Thai government, which is already trying to avoid potential tariffs from the United States and finalize a free-trade agreement with the European Union. China has been using its power and influence to silence its critics and pressure governments to repatriate citizens fleeing persecution. The Chinese government has detained hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs and others in internment camps and prisons and implemented birth control measures for Muslim women.
Julian Ku, a law professor at Hofstra University and a close observer of U.S. policy on Uyghurs, described the visa restriction policy as “a pretty dramatic step” and noted that this type of sanction has not been imposed on third-party countries before.
Thailand’s vice minister for foreign affairs argued that the deportation of the Uyghurs was in the country’s best interest, citing the possibility of retaliation from China if the individuals were sent elsewhere. However, some countries had offered to resettle the Uyghurs, but these offers were deemed “unrealistic,” as they would not shield Thailand from potential backlash from China.
China’s state-owned newspaper, the Global Times, denounced the U.S. visa policy as “hypocritical meddling” in China’s internal affairs under the guise of human rights.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/15/world/asia/us-sanctions-thai-uyghurs-china.html
