Thailand’s Muslim spiritual leader has pledged to join calls urging the Thai government not to repatriate Uyghurs detained here to China, as doing so could damage the country’s reputation in the eyes of the Muslim world.
Human rights commissioner, Suchart Setthamalinee, said he raised the plight of 48 Uyghur detainees during a meeting on January 21 with Arun Boonchom, the Thai Muslim spiritual leader, known formally as Chularajmontri.
“Chularajmontri agrees with the commission that the detainees should be allowed to choose to go to a third country. Sending them back to China could pose significant risks and dangers to them,” Suchart said.
The Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which comprise 57 member countries, and the OIC Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission have been closely monitoring the issue and, if the detainees are sent back to China against their will, Thailand could be seen as violating human rights, tarnishing its image internationally, especially among Muslims.
“Arun has promised to convey this message to the Thai government as part of efforts to prevent the detainees from being sent back,” the commissioner added.
The commission itself has expressed concern that the issue might be raised during Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra’s trip to China, tentatively set for early next month and its chairperson, Pornprapai Ganjanarintr, submitted an urgent letter to the prime minister on January 17, highlighting these concerns.
In the letter, Pornprapai warned that repatriating the detainees against their will would damage international confidence in Thailand, reminding her that the country was recently voted onto the UN’s Human Rights Council.
The Thai government has already complied with some of the commission’s recommendations regarding the detainees, which were sent to the previous prime minister in May last year.
These include allowing doctors from the Chularajmontri’s office to examine the detainees, permitting them to receive food from outside and arranging Friday prayers within the detention facility.
