East Turkistan Government in Exile condemns deportation of Uyghur refugees by Thailand and Turkiye

Washington [US], January 13 : The East Turkistan Government in Exile issued a strong condemnation of Thailand and Turkiye's reported plans to deport Uyghur asylum seekers and refugees to China, calling such actions a direct violation of international law. The government-in-exile stated that the deportations would render both countries complicit in enabling ongoing genocide against the Uyghur people.
ETGE said, "For over 13 years, 48 Uyghur asylum seekers have been unjustly detained in Thailand under inhumane conditions. Credible reports now indicate they face imminent deportation to the occupying Chinese regime. Similarly, Turkiye, once a sanctuary for Uyghurs fleeing genocide, is detaining and threatening to deport dozens, possibly many more, of Uyghur refugees, putting them at grave risk of persecution."
In its statement, the government in exile emphasised that East Turkistan is not a part of China, but rather a nation under Chinese colonial occupation. Deporting Uyghurs to the Chinese regime would subject them to imprisonment, torture, forced labour, and even execution, it asserted. ETGE argued that it would be a clear violation of the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international refugee law.
The East Turkistan Government in Exile urged the United Nations and other democratic nations, including the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Japan, to take immediate action to protect Uyghur refugees. It called for the facilitation of their asylum and resettlement in countries that could offer them safety.
The statement warned that failing to act would embolden China's genocidal actions and weaken global refugee protections. The government stressed that history would harshly judge those who, through inaction or complicity, enabled these crimes.The call for urgent intervention highlighted the need for global unity to protect human dignity and prevent further atrocities against the Uyghur people.
The persecution of Uyghurs in China, particularly in Xinjiang, involves widespread human rights abuses, including mass detentions in "re-education camps," forced labour, and heavy surveillance. The Chinese government has been accused of religious repression, cultural destruction, and forced assimilation, limiting the Uyghur language, religious practices, and cultural traditions. Reports indicate family separations, forced indoctrination, and destruction of Uyghur heritage sites. International bodies and human rights organizations have labelled these actions as genocide and crimes against humanity, while China denies these claims, calling them false and part of a campaign to fight extremism. The situation remains one of the most contentious global human rights issues.