Save Uyghur Campaign Strongly Condemns the Deportation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand to China

Washington, D.C. — February 27, 2025

For Immediate Release

Contact: Hena Zuberi

hena@justiceforall.org

(202) 922-5878

Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign strongly condemns the Thai government’s deportation of 40 Uyghur men to Chinese-occupied East Turkistan, where they face the grave risk of imprisonment, torture, or even death. This forced return is a flagrant violation of international law, particularly the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning individuals to a country where they may face persecution.

“This is a dark stain on Thailand’s human rights record,” said Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, President of Justice For All. “Thailand has knowingly sent these men into the hands of their oppressors. The world has seen the brutal treatment of Uyghurs in Chinese concentration camps—this deportation is nothing short of a death sentence.”

The deportation took place in the early hours of February 27, when a China Southern Airlines flight departed from Don Mueang Airport and landed in Kashgar, Chinese-occupied East Turkistan. Already, the Chinese Communist regime has begun its propaganda campaign, releasing staged images showing these Uyghurs being safely reunited with their families. We all know this is a lie. These men will not be going home—they will be disappeared into China’s vast network of prisons and concentration camps, subjected to forced confessions, torture, and even execution. This is a well-documented tactic used by Beijing to cover up its genocide and crimes against humanity.

“The Thai government has condemned these men to an uncertain but almost certainly horrific fate,” said Arslan Hidayat, Team Lead of the Save Uyghur Campaign. “This is not just a betrayal of the Uyghur people but a failure of the international community. We demand immediate accountability and call on global leaders to take action.”

Justice For All calls upon the United Nations, human rights organizations, and world governments to pressure Thailand for full transparency and to demand that China disclose the whereabouts and conditions of the deported Uyghurs. Silence is complicity.