Urgent Plea to Halt Uyghur Deportation Raises Global Alarm

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) calls on Thailand to stop the deportation of 48 Uyghur refugees to China, warning of risks of torture and human rights violations. The deportation is scheduled for February 27, 2025, despite international laws prohibiting such actions.

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has made an urgent appeal to the Thai government, demanding an immediate halt to the forthcoming deportation of 48 Uyghur refugees to China, slated for February 27, 2025. The WUC warns that such an action would put the refugees in grave danger of facing torture, enforced disappearance, and severe human rights abuses at the hands of Chinese authorities.

WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun has voiced stark opposition to the deportation, suggesting that returning them to China would equate to delivering a death sentence. The congress has called on the international community for swift and coordinated measures to ensure the refugees' safety and secure their release. These Uyghurs had fled persecution in East Turkistan and have been arbitrarily detained in Thailand since 2014. During that year, despite Thailand's assurances to the UNHCR, 109 individuals were deported back to China.

The WUC highlights violations of international law by the Thai government, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which bars the return of individuals to places where they may face significant harm. Despite global calls for intervention, the refugees have been denied legal assistance and resettlement opportunities. The WUC calls upon governments, rights organizations, and the global community to take immediate diplomatic action to prevent this severe violation of Uyghur rights amid ongoing reports of human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region.