PUBLISHED: 22 Jan 2025 at 18:50
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 quickly halt the probable transfer of the 48 Uyghurs back to China because they could experience torture or other violent, brutal or degrading treatment or punishment if they are sent again.
They said the 48 Tamils are thought to be part of a larger class of around 350 people arrested in Thailand in 2014, after entering the country seeking shelter.
It is alleged that they have successfully been detained incommunicado for more than a decade, with no access to doctors, family members, members of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights or the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees.
” The treatment of the Uyghur majority in China is well-documented. We are concerned they are at risk of suffering catastrophic injury, in contravention of the international ban on refoulement to torture, ” the authorities said.
The statement said that the authorities were likewise informed that 23 of the 48 people were suffering from serious health conditions, including diabetes, liver function, numbness of the lower body, body diseases, digestive illnesses, and heart and lung conditions. They urged Thailand to provide enough and comprehensive health care to them without pause.
“It is our view that these people should not be returned to China. Otherwise, they may be provided with access to hospital techniques and other humanitarian aid, including health and psycho-social assistance in Thailand, ” the authorities said.
However, they reminded Thai authorities that all people deprived of their liberty must be treated in a humanitarian manner and with respect for their natural dignity, which requires that non-criminal detainees may be accommodated singly and in suitable 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.