China defends Uyghur deportation amid international criticism
The Chinese embassy in Thailand stated that the recent deportation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand is a standard procedure of Sino-Thai cooperation on addressing illegal immigration. The move has been met with criticism from certain countries, which the embassy accuses of applying a double standard.
In response to international criticism regarding the treatment of this ethnic minority, the embassy clarified on social media that they were not asylum seekers but illegal migrants who had entered Thailand unlawfully.
It emphasised that the repatriation was part of normal legal enforcement by sovereign nations and occurred at the request of the Chinese government. Highlighting a broader context, the embassy noted that another significant nation, presumably the United States, had repatriated over 270,000 illegal migrants in 2024.
The embassy argued that countries observing the same international principles yet pressuring organisations to criticise the cooperation between China and Thailand demonstrate a double standard. This, according to the embassy, breaches fundamental international relations principles and conventions and could potentially lead to transnational crime.
The embassy further stated that China was among the first signatories of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, offering legal protection to wrongdoers and criminals.
It reported that the repatriated individuals had been reunited with their families, with local officials providing employment opportunities and professional skills to help them resume normal life swiftly.
The embassy accused certain terrorist groups and anti-China organisations of enticing local people to join anti-China movements, leading to terror attacks in Xinjiang. However, it claimed that the Chinese and Xinjiang governments had effectively combated these movements, resulting in no attacks since late 2016.
It also accused a particular country and anti-China organisations of spreading false rumours and boycotting Xinjiang’s products, allegedly aiming to destabilise the region and hinder China’s development under the guise of human and religious rights concerns.
The Chinese government expressed an open invitation to Thai officials and visitors from unbiased countries to observe the prosperity, peace, and religious freedom in Xinjiang.
However, reports from researchers, campaigners, and members of the diaspora indicate that since 2017, over a million Uyghurs and other Muslims have been detained in internment camps, where human rights abuses are reportedly common, reported Bangkok Post.
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