US lawmakers urge Thailand to halt deportation of Uyghur refugees to China, cite human rights concerns

Washington DC [US], February 27 : Bipartisan members of the House China Committee have raised concerns about the situation of 48 Uyghurs who have been held in Thailand for more than ten years, warning Thai officials against deporting them to China due to the potential abuses they could face, The Epoch Times reported.
US Representatives John Moolenaar and Raja Krishnamoorthi, the chairman and ranking member of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, said, "We are deeply concerned about Thai authorities' reported plans to forcibly deport 48 Uyghur refugees to the People's Republic of China when third countries are willing to assume custody," The Epoch Times (TET) reported.
"These individuals face a credible risk of imprisonment, torture, or death upon return to a regime that has systematically persecuted Uyghurs through mass internment, forced labour, and other grave abuses," TET quoted the two lawmakers as saying. They urged the Thai government to "immediately halt these deportations and to allow the Uyghurs to resettle in nations where they will be free from persecution."
In 2014, Thai officials detained nearly 300 Uyghur males who were fleeing China near the Malaysian border, including two dozen Uyghur men. In 2015, Thailand sent a group of people, mostly women and children, to Turkiye after deporting more than 100 to China. Five of the remaining 53, including two children, died while in Thai immigration custody while applying for refugee status, reported TET.
In China's Xinjiang province, Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have faced increased persecution, with an estimated one million or more being placed in re-education centers. According to the Chinese government, the initiative aims to combat extremism.
Former detainees have testified about torture, including electric shocks and sexual abuse. In 2021, the US declared Beijing's human rights abuses in Xinjiang to be genocide and passed legislation prohibiting imports from the region due to concerns about forced labour, TET reported.
"Moving forward with this action would severely damage US-Thai relations, and the US would be forced to consider all available measures, including sanctions, to hold those complicit in facilitating China's human rights abuses to account," the lawmakers said, as quoted by TET.
According to the TET report, Moolenaar and Krishnamoorthi urged Thai officials to seek a "humane, lawful resolution for these refugees" through collaboration with the United States and its allies.
Earlier in January, United Nations human rights experts stated that the treatment of Uyghur detainees by Thai authorities might violate international law.
They noted that almost half of these individuals are suffering from severe health issues, such as diabetes, kidney dysfunction, lower body paralysis, skin diseases, gastrointestinal problems, and heart and lung conditions, TET reported. They urged Thailand to ensure that the detainees receive appropriate medical care and access to legal representation.