Thai govt claims repatriated Uyghurs ‘happy to be back’
Officials accompanying group cast trip in positive light
The 40 Uyghurs repatriated to China after a decade-long detention in Thailand are safe and sound, with some already reunited with their families, said the government on Saturday.
It cited updates received from the Thai delegation travelling to China together with the illegal migrants.
The delegates include Chatchai Bangchuad, secretary-general of the National Security Council (NSC), Pol Gen Kraiboon Suadsong, a deputy national police chief, and Thai officials at the Thai embassy in Beijing, said government spokesman Jirayu Houngsub.
The officials travelled to Xinjiang with the 40 Uyghurs to ensure they return home safely and are reunited with their families, said the spokesman, citing reports received by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra from the Thai delegation in China.
Officials would revisit these Uyghurs in the next 15 days to a month as previously agreed by Thailand and China as part of the repatriation programme codenamed “11-Year Mission Possible”, he said.
The latest report from the delegation said the group arrived in Kashi city in Kashgar Prefecture, a city in southern Xinjiang which is closest to the hometowns of some of the migrants referred to as the “first group”.
Their hometowns are within a 140km-radius of Kashi’s city centre, while the hometowns of a second group are also in Xinjiang yet in a range of more than 1,000km from Kashi’s city centre, said the report.
In a previous update received at 2pm on Friday, Mr Chatchai said he and the other delegates arrived in Qiasa Subdistrict, about 140km from Kashi’s city centre, where a number of the 40 Uyghurs had reunited with their families.
Some of them who spoke Thai expressed gratitude for the Thai government’s efforts on their behalf over the past 10 years, Mr Chatchai said in the report received.
Later, at 3pm the same day, the delegation visited Qiasa Subdistrict hospital to meet some of the Uyghurs in the care of a medical team there, said Mr Chatchai.
These Uyghurs asked delegates to relay their regards to the Sheikhul Islam Office’s representatives and their gratitude towards the Muslim representatives’ visits and arrangements for religious rites and feasts for them while they were being detained at the Immigration Bureau’s (IB) facilities, said Mr Chatchai.
This agreement was reached during the PM’s visit to China on the occasion of the Thailand-China 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, said Mr Chatchai.
China’s recognition of the Uyghur ethnic minority was also demonstrated in celebrations of Chinese New Year at Yaowarat when a performance which featured Uyghur’s identity and culture was conducted by the Chinese government, he said.
Before their release, video clips filmed by their families in their hometowns were shown to them to give them an idea of how vastly improved their hometowns have become since they left, he said.
Russ Jalichandra, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, said the repatriation of the Uyghurs appears to be the best of three options that were available.
The repatriation effort might sound cruel to some, especially those who do not trust China, he said.
However, before Thailand decided to send the Uyghurs back to China, the Chinese government had submitted a formal letter guaranteeing their safety, which is a legally binding agreement.
To continue detaining these Uyghurs in Thailand until they die would be even more inhumane, while sending them to a third country as refugees where their refugee status is formally recognised was never an option, he said.
No other countries or parties have formally agreed to take these Uyghurs, even the US and the UNHCR which are pointing their finger at Thailand for repatriating these Uyghurs back to China, he said.
Earlier, critics attacked the Thai government over claims the 40 Uyghur detainees had asked to go back to China after being detained in the country for more than a decade. They say the government is trying to spin the repatriations in a positive light.
Fair Party MP Kannavee Suebsang on Friday released two letters written by the detainees, calling for help from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the international community to ensure they are not handed over to China due to concerns over safety.
Another letter was written to Ms Paetongtarn seeking her help to send them to reunite with their families in Turkey. The Fair Party lawmaker, who once worked for the UN refugee agency, said the three letters with different dates were written while the Uyghur men were detained at the Suan Phlu immigration detention centre in Bangkok.
