Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai confirmed that he and Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong are scheduled to visit the Xinjiang region of China on March 18 to assess the conditions of 40 Uyghurs recently deported after 11 years of detention in Thailand. During a statement on Wednesday, Phumtham reiterated the government’s stance that the repatriation process complied with legal standards, despite the international backlash following the February 27 deportation.
The Thai government has consistently maintained that no other countries offered to accept the detainees. However, reports indicate that over the past decade, nations such as Canada, the United States, and Australia had reached out to Thailand with offers to take them in. The Thai authorities reportedly hesitated to act on these proposals due to concerns over diplomatic relations with China.
Phumtham, who also serves as defense minister, stated that Thailand had successfully housed the Uyghurs for 11 years without significant issues, and noted that the government sought support from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the early years to help secure refugee status for them.
Of the original group of approximately 350 individuals who entered Thailand illegally, around 170 were relocated to Turkey in July 2015, though Turkey only accepted women, children, and elderly members. Soon after, 109 men were deported to China, with their current status unknown. The remaining individuals were held in Thai immigration detention.
Phumtham explained that he conveyed to “powerful countries” that Thailand had two available options: returning the individuals to China or relocating them to a third country willing to accept them. Despite expressions of sympathy from various nations, none have formally agreed to take custody of the Uyghurs.
He emphasized that because China recognized these individuals as its citizens, with verifiable addresses, Thailand held a legal obligation to repatriate them. The UNHCR, according to Phumtham, never classified them as refugees, meaning they remained classified as illegal immigrants.
The Deputy Prime Minister assured that the government would not have returned anyone to China if there were concerns about potential torture or harm, as written guarantees about human rights protections were provided by the Chinese government. Therefore, he, along with Pol Col Tawee and Foreign Affairs Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, made the decision to repatriate the 40 Uyghur men last week.
