Thailand has decided to deport around 100 Uighur Muslims detained in the country since last year to China, where human rights groups fear that the asylum-seekers would face intense persecution and other dangers once they arrive.
The Turkish-speaking Uighurs, who reside in the Xinjiang region of China, have long complained of discrimination against the members of their community. In a previous report by HNGN, Uighurs in the region had a great difficulty in practicing their religious customs due to government sanctions which forbade them to follow the tenets of Ramadan, a poignant Muslim tradition.
Due to the treatment they receive in the mainland, waves of Uighurs have fled the area. Huge numbers of them have taken the route through countries in Southeast Asia. One of these is Thailand, which sometimes detains the Uighurs as illegal immigrants, reports The Voice of America.
The group that was recently deported fled to Thailand in March of last year. Presenting themselves to the police as Turkish, they were ultimately detained after Thai authorities were able to determine their nationalities, according to Yahoo! News.
Thai government spokesman Werachon Sukhondapatipak has confirmed the repatriation of the Uighurs from the country, stating that "some 100" Uighurs were deported to China on Wednesday after finding "clear evidence they are Chinese nationals."
He further added that around 170 Uighurs have been deported to Turkey in late June.
Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch is aghast by the deportation of the Uighurs to China, calling the decision by the Thai government "appalling," and further stating that the people "could face torture and other serious abuses" when they get back to the mainland.
The United Nations refugee agency has also condemned the action, stating that the organization was "alarmed at today's deportation of some 100 persons of Turkic origin by Thailand."
Werachon however, maintains that the refugees would be safe, stating that China has assured Thailand of the Uighurs' safety.
"China agreed to take care of their safety and will now put them through the judicial process. It has reassured Thailand about its humanitarian principles," he said.
