MP seeks Uyghur safeguards

People's Party lawmaker warns returning two men to China would violate anti-torture law.

People's Party MP Sasinan Thamnithinan on Tuesday urged the government and the National Security Council to halt any possible deportation of two Uyghur detainees to China, warning that they could face torture or enforced disappearance.

Ms Sasinan, a Bangkok MP and lawyer, called on authorities to suspend any repatriation pending independent assessments of the risks facing the two men.

Both were recently granted royal pardons and transferred to the Immigration Detention Centre at Suan Phlu on Oct 21. One was a minor when first detained in 2014.

Ms Sasinan said both had submitted written statements refusing repatriation to China. However, lawyers, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the UN refugee agency have been unable to meet them since their transfer.

She cited Section 13 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, which prohibits returning people to countries where they risk torture or enforced disappearance.

She also questioned Clause 8 of the Prime Minister's Office's 2026 deportation regulation, arguing that its provision for automatic repatriation after a specified period undermines legal protections.

Ms Sasinan called for access to legal assistance, disclosure of the men's legal status, independent risk assessments, arrangements for resettlement in a safe third country and amendments to Clause 8.

Thailand deported 109 Uyghurs to China in 2015 and another 40 in February last year. The NHRC subsequently found that the latter deportations violated human rights and the principle of non-refoulement and that assurances from China were insufficient.

The Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) issued a similar appeal on Friday, urging Thailand to halt deportations and calling on other governments to offer resettlement to the five Uyghurs remaining in detention.

UHRP executive director Omer Kanat warned against repeating past deportations, saying the whereabouts and wellbeing of the 40 men returned in February last year remained independently unverified.

Ms Sasinan said Thailand's economic and security cooperation with China should not override human rights obligations.