3 Uyghur men resettled in Canada after 10 years in Thai detention, escape deportation to China

Bangkok [Thailand], April 29 : Three Uyghur men holding Kyrgyz passports, who spent over 10 years in detention in Thailand, were resettled in Canada earlier this month, according to an advocacy organisation reported on Monday, thus escaping the fate of many Uyghurs deported from Thailand to China, as mentioned by Radio Free Asia (RFA).

These men were part of a larger group of over 300 Uyghurs who fled China in 2014, where this ethnic minority endures ongoing persecution, only to be captured by Thai authorities, leading to a lengthy dispute regarding their future, as reported by RFA.

As recently as February, Thailand sent 40 Uyghur men back to China, an action that drew international outcry. "The three men with Kyrgyz passports went to Canada following the Thai New Year," stated Chalida Tajaroensuk, director of the People's Empowerment Foundation, as quoted by RFA.

"Unlike others, they were granted meetings with UNHCR officials and received refugee status, which ultimately led to their release," Chalida noted, referring to the United Nations refugee agency. The foundation has been advocating for the Uyghur detainees since their arrests in 2014, according to the RFA report.

Uyghurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority from the northwestern region of China known as Xinjiang. They refer to their territory as East Turkestan, a name that reflects their shared linguistic and cultural heritage with other Central Asian groups along the historic Silk Road, including Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Uzbeks, as highlighted by RFA.

Uyghurs in Xinjiang have faced extensive human rights violations, which include being held in extensive concentration camps, as stated by foreign governments, including the US and various human rights organisations.

In contrast, Beijing has characterised these camps as vocational training centres and has denied any allegations of abuse, as emphasised in the RFA report. Thailand maintains strong ties with China.

China ranks among the top trading partners and foreign investors in Thailand and is the primary source of foreign tourism. According to RFA, in 2015, Thailand allowed around 170 Uyghurs to be resettled in Turkey, but also sent 109 Uyghurs back to China, an act that resulted in a deadly bomb attack in Bangkok in August of that same year.

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