Uyghur Detainees in Thailand: A pressing concern
NGO leader inspects circumstances of Uyghur captives
In a concerning turn of events, the People's Empowerment Foundation has raised an alarm about seven Uyghur individuals currently serving time in Thai prisons. Chalida Tajaroensuk, the group's chairperson, disclosed this information to our website on Monday.
The seven are divided into two groups: the first consists of five Uyghurs, serving six-year sentences in Klongprem Central Prison, accused of escaping a detention center in Mukdahan in 2020. Ms. Chalida visited them prior to the Songkran holiday to check on their well-being and was informed that they still weren't willing to return to China, despite having legal representation.
There's been a surge in efforts by the People's Empowerment Foundation to contact various embassies, aiming to find a third-country resettlement for these five Uyghurs before they're deported by the Thai government. Their prison term is nearly over, and Ms. Chalida shared that some embassies have reached out for relevant information to present a resettlement case to their respective foreign affairs ministries.
The second group is made up of two Uyghurs in Bangkok Remand Prison, awaiting trial for their suspected involvement in the Erawan Shrine bombing in 2015. Their next court date is set for next month, and it seems the judges want to finalize the case by year-end. However, these suspects prefer the case remain open, hoping to evade potential deportation to China.
Despite the complexities surrounding the Erawan Shrine bombing case, Kannavee Suebsang, a Fair List Party list-MP, has announced his readiness to collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to assist the five Uyghurs imprisoned in Klongprem Central Prison, should they wish for resettlement in a third country.
It's worth mentioning that over a decade ago, three Uyghur men who were detained in Thailand were resettled in Canada. This event occurred amidst a larger group arrested in 2014. Unfortunately, most of those detainees remain in Thailand, and their future seems uncertain.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
- The People's Empowerment Foundation has sent several requests to various embassies, hoping to find a third-country resettlement for the five Uyghurs detained in Klongprem Central Prison who are still unwilling to return to China.
- General-news outlets have reported that Kannavee Suebsang, a Fair List Party list-MP, has announced his readiness to collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to assist the five Uyghurs imprisoned in Klongprem Central Prison, should they wish for resettlement in a third country.
- In Mukdahan, Thailand, the seven detained Uyghurs, including five serving six-year sentences in Klongprem Central Prison, were found by the People's Empowerment Foundation, having escaped from a detention center in 2020.
