The United States and Canada offered to resettle 48 Uyghurs detained in Thailand over the past decade, according to sources cited by Reuters. However, Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China and secretly deported them last week.
Despite calls from UN human rights experts to halt the deportation, Thailand defended its decision, arguing that it acted in accordance with its laws and human rights obligations.
Human rights groups have accused China of widespread abuses against the Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority of about 10 million people in the Xinjiang region. Beijing, however, denies any wrongdoing.
Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai stated on Monday that no country had made a concrete offer to take in the 48 Uyghurs. “We have waited for more than 10 years, and I have spoken with many major countries, but no one has given me a clear answer,” he told the press.
However, a senior U.S. State Department official asserted that the United States had indeed offered to resettle the 48 Uyghurs. “The United States has worked with Thailand for years to prevent this situation, consistently and repeatedly offering to resettle the Uyghurs in other countries, including, at one point, the United States,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Canada also committed to receiving the detained Uyghurs, according to four sources, including diplomats and individuals with direct knowledge of the case. Two of these sources said that Australia had also made an offer.
However, these proposals were not accepted by Thailand, which feared a confrontation with China. Until now, these negotiations had not been publicly disclosed.
Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters that the repatriation was carried out in compliance with Chinese, Thai, and international laws. “The repatriated individuals were Chinese citizens who had illegally emigrated,” the ministry stated, adding that “their legitimate rights are fully protected.”
A spokesperson for Canada’s Immigration Ministry declined to comment on individual cases. Meanwhile, Australia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade referred to a statement by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who said on Friday that the country “totally disagrees with Thailand’s decision.”
In addition to the 40 Uyghurs deported last week, five remain in a Thai prison due to an ongoing criminal case, according to local sources. Reuters could not immediately confirm the whereabouts of the remaining three individuals.
