Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra claimed today that she has does not yet have the details of the reported repatriation of 48 Uyghur detainees from a Bangkok detention centre early this morning.
She said every nation must, however, handle such matters while adhering to the law, international procedures and human rights.
Kannavee Suebsang, the sole MP of the opposition FAIR Party, posted images on his Facebook page of six vans, believed to be police vehicles, leaving a Bangkok immigration centre at about 2am this morning.
The vans’ windows and logos were covered with black tape.
Kannavee claimed the vehicles were carrying the Uyghurs, who had been detained in Thailand for 11 years, to the airport for repatriation to China.
“When the vans left the building, police vehicles blocked the road, clearly to prevent anyone from following,” he said.
He also claimed that a China Southern Airlines aircraft departed for China at 4am. The aircraft, Kannavee said, had flown to Bangkok from China’s Xinjiang region, home to the Uyghurs.
The MP called on the government to disclose whether it had secretly transferred the 48 Uyghurs, detained in Thailand since 2014, back to China against their will.
National police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Phanphet earlier declined to comment on reports, insisting it was a security matter
The detainees have been held in Thailand under conditions which both Thai and international human rights agencies have described as inhumane and degrading.
They warned that the detainees face a high likelihood of severe human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, and torture, if returned to China.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has previously urged Thailand not to repatriate the Uyghurs forcibly.
HRW called on the Thai government to grant the men access to the refugee status determination processes.
According to HRW, in a letter dated January 10, the detainees expressed grave fears of persecution if repatriated, citing risks of imprisonment or even execution.
The situation recently attracted international attention, when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had pledged to press Thailand not to deport the Uyghurs.
Rubio highlighted their plight, describing the situation in China as "one of the most horrifying things that has ever happened."
