Human rights groups have made claims that Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs detained in Thailand for over a decade. However, Thai authorities reportedly took no action, fearing backlash from China, which secretly deported the group last week, according to Reuters.
Thai officials defended the deportation despite calls from United Nations (UN) human rights experts, stating that the decision followed legal and human rights obligations. Human Rights Groups accuse China of widespread mistreatment of Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group of around 10 million in Xinjiang. China denies these allegations.
Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Monday, March 5, that no country made a firm commitment to resettle the 48 Uyghurs. “We waited for over 10 years. I spoke to several major countries, but none gave a definitive answer,” Phumtham told Reuters.
A US State Department official confirmed that the United States offered to resettle the detainees, saying, “The US worked with Thailand for years to avoid this situation. We consistently and repeatedly offered to resettle the Uyghurs, including in the US.”
Canada also extended an offer of asylum, according to four sources, including diplomats and others with direct knowledge. Two sources noted Australia also made a similar proposal. These offers, reportedly stalled due to concerns over upsetting China, had not been previously disclosed.
All sources requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the situation.
Officials from Thailand and China’s foreign ministries did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Canada’s immigration ministry said it does not comment on individual cases.
Meanwhile, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade referred to a statement from Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who criticised Thailand’s decision, stating Australia “strongly disagrees” with the deportation.
China’s embassy in Bangkok issued a statement describing the 40 deported individuals as “illegal migrants” who had returned to reunite with their families after more than a decade.
Thai Immigration authorities said five Uyghurs remain in prison due to an ongoing legal case, while the whereabouts of three others remain unclear.
Pisan Manawapat, a former Thai ambassador to Canada and the US, said at least three countries had presented resettlement options but declined to identify them. “We didn’t want to upset China,” Pisan told Reuters.
He added that no political-level decision was made to act on these proposals.
China is Thailand’s largest trading partner, and the two nations maintain significant economic ties.
Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham stated that the deportation decision was made after China assured Thailand that officials would be allowed to monitor the group’s welfare after their return.
UN human rights experts had warned that the deported Uyghurs faced the risk of torture, abuse, and “irreparable harm” in China. Their deportation has sparked widespread condemnation.
Following the incident, the UN refugee agency revealed that Thai authorities repeatedly denied its requests for access to the group.
This lack of access prevented the refugees from being processed as asylum seekers, which delayed potential resettlement and kept them in prolonged detention.
