
The surprise statement by new US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging Thailand not to deport 40-plus Uyghurs who are currently being detained in Thailand to China has shone a much-needed spotlight on these illegal entrants.
As of now, 43 of them are incarcerated at the Immigration Bureau (IB) headquarters in Soi Suan Phlu in Yannawa district of Bangkok. After having been detained for over a decade, two have died. Five are in prison facing other criminal charges.
With the recent promotion of Mr Rubio, long known as a ferocious critic of Beijing on the Uyghur issue, the Thai government is going to face more pressure from the international community in handling highly sensitive human rights issues.
This time, MP Kannavee Suebsang has poured fuel on the fire by circulating an unsubstantiated rumour that the National Security Council will meet soon to discuss what to do with these detained Uyghurs. His comments, posted recently on Facebook, have ratcheted up fears the government will send them back to Beijing, similar to the move it made 11 years ago with 109 Uyghurs.
The Thai government's handling of Uyghurs has become a black stain on the nation's human rights record. On March 13, 2014, immigration officials patrolling in Songkhla province, near the Malaysian border, arrested a group of 220 Uyghurs in the jungle while they were attempting to enter the neighbouring country.
In July 2015, Thai authorities during the junta government forcibly returned 109 ethnic Uyghur men at the request of the Chinese government. They were handcuffed, blindfolded, and handed over to Chinese officials in Bangkok.
While Thai officials were sent to escort those repatriated Uyghurs, Panitan Wattanayagorn, an expert on national security, said on a television news station on Monday that Thai officials had not been informed of their fate.
What really counts now is how Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra elects to handle this problem. It is heartening to hear Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai insist Thailand will not deport them to China. And the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok has released a statement denying any attempt to secure their deportation.
With the air somewhat cleared, the government needs to make a clear statement about what it plans to do with these illegal entrants. There have been requests from international human rights groups and the United Nations to send them to third countries, which would seem like the best move for the government to make.
The Uyghurs need the help of the global community. Over the past decade, nations with strong human rights records have asked Thailand not to send them back to China, but few, if any, have offered to take them in as refugees. Perhaps now it is time for America, Europe or Islamic countries to take the lead in offering them refuge.
Who knows how long these 40-plus Uyghurs will remain detained here? The government must let neutral experts and medical staff visit them regularly to ensure they receive fair treatment while waiting for third countries to take them in. Over the past decade, the government and the IB have been accused of blocking access to them and censoring information. This must end. Speaking of our treatment of Uyghurs, surely it is time to atone for our sins.