Three Uyghurs relocated to Canada after decade-long detention in Thailand
Three Uyghurs, formerly held at Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre, have been relocated to a third country, finally putting an end to an extended diplomatic situation lasting over ten years.
As confirmed by government and diplomatic sources, the Uyghurs have been transferred to Canada, following an agreement between Thai and Canadian officials. These individuals had been detained since 2014.
This development comes months after Thailand deported 40 Uyghurs from the centre to China, which incited criticism from Western governments and human rights organisations. The three were not sent to China due to their possession of Kyrgyzstan-issued passports, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The trio was part of approximately 300 Uyghurs apprehended by Thai immigration officers near the Thai-Malaysian border on March 3, 2014, during Yingluck Shinawatra’s administration.
In June 2015, 173 women and children from the group were allowed to travel to Turkey to seek asylum by the National Council for Peace and Order, which had overthrown the Yingluck regime in a coup.
However, the following month saw the forcible repatriation of 109 group members to China at Beijing’s request. Images of Chinese police escorting hooded and handcuffed Uyghurs sparked international outrage, especially from Western countries and human rights groups.
A turning point
On August 17, 2015, a bomb exploded at the Erawan Shrine in Ratchaprasong district, a site popular with Chinese tourists, resulting in 20 deaths and over 130 injuries. Although no direct link was confirmed, speculation about a possible connection to the deportations persisted.
During their time in Suan Phlu, the Uyghurs faced significant hardships. Rights advocates reported that they endured overcrowded, unhygienic conditions and suffered from a lack of food, water, and medicine. There were also claims of inadequate provision of halal meals and limited access to basic healthcare, resulting in several detainees’ deaths over the years.
The government faced accusations of denying the Uyghurs access to legal representation, family contact, humanitarian groups, and international refugee organisations such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), effectively preventing them from seeking asylum status.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s administration recently decided to repatriate 40 of the remaining 43 Uyghur detainees in Suan Phlu to China, citing the Chinese government’s safety assurances and a lack of offers from third countries to accept them.
Chalida Tajaroensuk, Chairman of the People’s Empowerment Foundation, who has monitored the Uyghurs’ situation since their arrest, confirmed yesterday, April 27, that the last three Uyghurs safely arrived in Canada.
She added that these individuals were verified as Kyrgyz citizens, having used Kyrgyz passports to enter Thailand illegally in 2014, as reported by Bangkok Post.
During their detention, a Uyghur who had resettled in Australia reached out to various embassies to advocate for the acceptance of these three Kyrgyz Uyghurs. Canadian authorities responded, allowing the UNHCR to facilitate their resettlement in Canada.
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