Washington, DC [US], January 19 (ANI): US Senator Marco Rubio, nominated by President-elect Donald Trump as Secretary of State, has promised to exert diplomatic pressure on Thailand to prevent the deportation of 48 Uyghur detainees who have been held in the country since 2014.
These individuals fled alleged persecution in Xinjiang, China, seeking refuge in Thailand, Voice of America (VOA) reported.
Rubio, a staunch critic of China, made the remarks during his Senate confirmation hearing, asserting that the US-Thailand relationship could play a pivotal role in resolving the issue. “Thailand is a very strong US partner, a strong historical ally,” Rubio stated. “That is an area where I think diplomacy could really achieve results because of how important that relationship is and how close it is.”
He further elaborated on the harrowing plight of the Uyghurs, describing their persecution in China as “one of the most horrifying things that has ever happened.” Rubio condemned China’s actions, claiming that the Uyghurs are “basically being rounded up because of their ethnicity and religion, and they are being put into camps… stripped of their identity… and into forced labour — literally, slave labour.”
Human rights advocates have long warned that sending the Uyghurs back to China would likely result in torture, long imprisonment, or even their disappearance. Rubio’s stance is also reflected in his legislative actions. He co-sponsored the 2021 Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act, which prohibits imports from Xinjiang unless they are certified free from forced labour.
His criticism of China’s human rights violations has led to Chinese sanctions against him since 2020. Both the Biden and Trump administrations have recognised China’s actions in Xinjiang as genocide, with a 2022 United Nations report indicating that China’s policies could amount to crimes against humanity. However, China denies these accusations, framing its actions as counter-terrorism efforts.
The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok has contested the Uyghurs’ status, claiming that some of them have links to terrorism. “A small number of individuals, enticed by external forces, fled abroad and even joined the ‘East Turkestan Islamic Movement,’ [ETIM] a terrorist organisation recognised by the United Nations, becoming terrorists themselves,” the embassy stated.
Despite these claims, there is no evidence linking the detained Uyghurs to terrorism. The US delisted ETIM as a terror group in 2020, citing a lack of clear evidence of its existence, according to Congressional Research Service. Julie Millsap, the government relations manager for the Washington-based group No Business With Genocide, dismissed China’s allegations, pointing out that there is no evidence to support claims of terrorism against the Uyghurs. She argued, “The PRC cannot claim concurrently that it has a population of happy, dancing Uyghurs while labelling asylum seekers as extremists.”
Further developments on the issue include reports from Arslan Hidayat, team lead of the Save Uyghur campaign, who revealed that Thai immigration officers attempted to photograph 43 Uyghur detainees and have them sign documents similar to those used in a mass deportation of over 100 Uyghurs to China in 2015. Fearing another forced repatriation, the detainees launched a hunger strike, which is still ongoing, reported VOA.
Hidayat stated, “Last week, I learned from the detainees that Thai immigration officers attempted to photograph 43 Uyghur detainees and have them sign documents similar to those used in 2015, when more than 100 Uyghurs were forcibly repatriated to China.”
In addition to the 43 Uyghurs, five are imprisoned after a failed escape attempt. A United Nations report has raised alarms about “degrading treatment or even torture” of the detainees, highlighting the death of five individuals, including two children. The UN urged Thai authorities to refrain from deportations without adequate legal processes or protections.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also called on Thailand to release the detained Uyghurs and ensure their safe passage to a third country. HRW Asia Director Elaine Pearson expressed concern, saying, “Successive Thai governments have kept the Uyghurs in inhumane detention, while under pressure from the Chinese government to send them to China.” The organisation has urged Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s government to halt the cycle of deportations.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been monitoring the situation, with spokesperson Babar Baloch reiterating the agency’s concerns. “We continue to remind the authorities of their obligations on non-refoulement and to advocate for alternatives to detention,” Baloch said.
Zumretay Arkin, Vice President of the World Uyghur Congress, raised concerns about Thailand’s ongoing discussions with China about Uyghur deportations, particularly in light of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “We remain concerned about their fate and continue to increase public pressure,” Arkin noted. The organisation has called for global protests outside Thai diplomatic missions to demand action.
The story of Rahile, a 32-year-old Uyghur mother of three, further underscores the human toll of Thailand’s handling of the detainees. Rahile, whose husband has been detained in Bangkok since 2014, described the emotional and physical strain her family has endured. “We had just built our home [in Xinjiang] and were living a normal life when everything turned into a nightmare 12 years ago,” she recalled, as per reports by VOA.
After fleeing with her children, her husband remained behind and was later detained in Thailand. Although she managed to reunite with her children in Turkey, her husband’s fate remains uncertain. Rahile expressed the anguish of her children, who have never met their father, saying, “My children ask why their father isn’t here. I have no answer for them.” (ANI)
