Thailand Deports Dozens of Uyghurs to China, Activists Say
New York TimesFEB 17
Thailand Deports 40 Uyghurs to China
Above: The entrance of an immigration detention centre is pictured in Bangkok on Jan. 22, 2025. Image copyright: Chanakarn Laosarakham/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-China narrative
The deportation was a necessary and lawful action carried out with proper safeguards and Chinese government assurances of the deportees' safety and well-being. It followed standard immigration procedures and international practices for handling illegal migrants. Western political forces have been spreading lies to create a false image of the situation, casting China — and Thailand — in a negative light.
Anti-China narrative
This outrageous, unacceptable action clearly violates the Royal Thai Government's obligations under international law. The deportation represents a grave human rights violation that exposes vulnerable individuals to serious risks of torture, enforced disappearance, and persecution in China, where systematic abuses against Uyghurs have been extensively documented.