Rights groups urge Thailand not to deport two Uyghur men

Human rights groups and activists are urging the Thai government to halt the forced deportation of two Uyghur men to China. Nation Thailand and Jurist.org both reported that rights organizations have called on Thai authorities to prevent the forced return of the two men. The Guardian added that one of the men said he would be like a slave if he is returned to China. [1][2][3]

Big News Network.com reported that Thailand has moved the two Uyghur men closer to deportation, prompting fresh human rights criticism against China. Activists expressed concern that authorities in Bangkok will yield to pressure from Beijing despite widespread reports of human rights abuses and torture against the ethnic minority group, according to the Guardian. [1][4]

The United Nations has previously condemned Beijing's repressive crackdown against the largely Muslim ethnic group as a potential crime against humanity, the Guardian reported. Historically, the Uyghurs emerged as a distinct group from nomadic Turkic tribes in the Orkhon Valley of Mongolia before migrating to the Tarim Basin. [1][8]

Activists warn that deporting the two men back to China will put their lives in grave danger, according to the Guardian. The girlfriend of one of the men expressed fear that her boyfriend will become the latest victim of the Chinese government's actions against the population. [1]