Thailand urged not to deport 48 Uyghurs to China
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Thailand urged not to deport 48 Uyghurs to China

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The Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in Bangkok has been home to 43 Uyghur detainees for more than a decade. (File Photo)
The Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in Bangkok has been home to 43 Uyghur detainees for more than a decade. (File Photo)

United Nations (UN) experts have urged Thailand not to deport 48 Uyghurs to China and to treat people deprived of their liberty more humanely.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the Geneva-based experts called on the government to immediately halt the possible transfer of the 48 Uyghurs back to China because they could face torture or other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment if they are sent back.

They said the 48 Uyghurs are thought to be part of a larger group of approximately 350 people arrested in Thailand in 2014, after entering the country seeking protection.

It is alleged that they have effectively been detained incommunicado for more than a decade, with no access to lawyers, family members, representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees.

"The treatment of the Uyghur minority in China is well-documented. We are concerned they are at risk of suffering irreparable harm, in violation of the international prohibition on refoulement to torture,” the experts said.

The statement said that the experts were also informed that 23 of the 48 individuals were suffering from serious health conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction, paralysis of the lower body, skin diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, and heart and lung conditions. They urged Thailand to provide adequate and comprehensive medical care to them without delay.

“It is our view that these persons should not be returned to China. Instead, they must be provided with access to asylum procedures and other humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social support in Thailand,” the experts said.

Furthermore, they reminded Thai authorities that all people deprived of their liberty must be treated in a humane manner and with respect for their inherent dignity, which requires that non-criminal detainees must be accommodated separately and in appropriate conditions for their status.

They also suggested that these groups of people should always have access to effective legal representation and adequate medical assistance; prompt judicial review of their deprivation of liberty; remedies for any violations; and the possibility to communicate with a lawyer of choice, their relatives and to be visited by independent human rights monitoring bodies.

The statement also said that five Uyghurs had reportedly died in detention during the past 11 years, two of whom were children. It said inadequate conditions, including a lack of adequate medical care, could have contributed to the deaths.

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