The U.S. State Department announced on Friday that it is imposing sanctions on several current and former Thai officials due to their involvement in deporting over 40 Uyghur men back to China. There are concerns that these individuals may be imprisoned or face harsher consequences in China. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated visa restrictions would immediately be implemented on those responsible for or complicit in the deportations, although specific officials were not named. These visa restrictions could potentially mean that those individuals would be denied entry into the United States.
Rubio emphasized the United States’ dedication to resisting China’s attempts to force governments into returning Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they face the risk of torture and enforced disappearances. Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Saturday, the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured that they have engaged in dialogues with other nations voicing concerns over the men’s safety, highlighting that China promised their safety, which is subsequently monitored by Thailand.
The ministry also pointed out Thailand’s historical commitment to humanitarian efforts over the past fifty years, particularly in assisting displaced individuals from various countries. The Thai Ministers of Defense and Justice announced their plans to visit the men in China in the upcoming week, inviting several Thai journalists to accompany them. The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnic group originating from Xinjiang, located in China’s far west.
Over the years, there has been ongoing conflict between the Uyghurs and the Beijing government, primarily due to the alleged suppression and discrimination against Uyghurs by the Chinese authorities. Western governments have described China’s intensive crackdown on the Uyghurs as a form of genocide. The Thai authorities detained over 300 Uyghurs fleeing China in 2014. By February, there were still 48 Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand, despite continued international and domestic appeals against their deportation to China.
Secretary Rubio condemned these deportations, highlighting that Uyghurs are often victims of persecution and forced labor in China. The Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, in response, posted on social media claiming the 40 returned individuals were Chinese nationals who had been smuggled. They asserted that these individuals have reunited with their families in Xinjiang after more than a decade, sharing images depicting these reunions. Rubio has long stood in opposition to Beijing, receiving sanctions from the Chinese government in 2020 over his advocacy for Uyghur and Hong Kong rights.
