A view of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. UN experts: Thailand must immediately halt deportation of 48 Uighurs to China Human Rights
The Thai government must immediately halt the possible deportation of 48 Uighurs to the People’s Republic of China, UN experts said today, warning that the minority faces a real risk of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment if returned.
“The treatment of China’s Uighur minority is well documented,” rights groups said, pointing to an international ban on forcibly returning people to a country where they face a real risk of torture.
A group of about 350 members of the Uighur minority were arrested in Thailand in 2014 after illegally crossing the border. They had traveled to Thailand to seek protection. They were reportedly held incommunicado for more than a decade, without access to lawyers, and were denied access to their families or to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Now, 48 of them face deportation to China.
“We believe that these individuals should not be returned to China. They should be given access to asylum procedures and humanitarian assistance, including medical and psychosocial support in Thailand,” the experts said.
“We were informed that 23 of the 48 individuals suffer from serious medical conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction, paralysis of the lower body, skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, as well as heart and lung diseases,” the rights activists said.
The experts reminded the Thai authorities that all persons deprived of their liberty must be treated humanely and with respect for their dignity. Detainees who have not committed criminal offences must be housed separately and in conditions appropriate to their status. They are entitled to access to legal remedies and adequate medical care, as well as the opportunity to communicate with relatives and representatives of independent human rights monitoring bodies.
Five Uighur detainees have reportedly died in custody in Thailand over the past 11 years. Two of them were children.
“Inadequate conditions of detention, including lack of access to adequate medical care, can lead to death,” the experts said.
They called for a prompt, effective investigation and assessment of the full circumstances of the arrest and ongoing detention of the Uyghur minority.
“If they are found to be arbitrarily deprived of their liberty… they should be released without delay,” they added.