Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit has warned that, were Thailand to repatriate Uyghurs to China, it would constitute a grave violation of human rights.
Angkhana, president of the Senate Committee on Human Rights and Freedom, stated that she submitted a letter to the Immigration Police Bureau earlier this month, requesting a visit to the detained Uyghurs.
A satisfactory response to the request has, however, been delayed. The bureau recently invited the committee to visit its headquarters on Chaeng Wattana Road, but this not the location the committee wishes to visit.
“We will send the request again. We truly wish to visit the Uyghur detainees,” Angkhana said.
Angkhana, a former National Human Rights Commissioner, met today with Chalida Tajaroensuk, founder of the People’s Empowerment Foundation, who filed a petition regarding the plight of the 48 Uyghurs, who are believed to be on the verge of being forcibly repatriated to China.
The detainees were recently asked to complete repatriation forms, but the destination and timeline for their return remain unclear.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has previously urged Thailand not to repatriate the Uyghurs forcibly.
The detainees, who have been in detention for over a decade, under conditions described as inhumane and degrading, face a high likelihood of severe human rights violations, including arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture if returned to China.
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. In a desperate act of protest, the detainees have begun a hunger strike and are seeking international intervention.
The situation recently attracted international attention, when US Senator Marco Rubio, during a Senate confirmation hearing, pledged to press Thailand not to deport the Uyghurs.
Rubio, tipped to be Secretary of State in the Trump administration, highlighted their plight, describing the situation in China as "one of the most horrifying things that has ever happened."
He stated, "These are people, who are basically being rounded up because of their ethnicity and religion, are being put into camps, stripped of their identity and forced into labour — literally, slave labour."
Rubio's remarks come as the world watches Thailand's handling of the Uyghur detainees, who have been in custody since 2014 after fleeing alleged persecution in Xinjiang, northwest China.
