Thailand Transfers All Uighur Muslim Detainees to Immigration Center in Bangkok

Bangkok, MINA – Thailand transferred all ethnic Uighur Muslim detainees in the country to a detention center on Friday. The situation has raised concerns among non-governmental organizations (NGOs) about the possibility of the government sending them back to China after three of the arrested people fled earlier this month.

The Prime Minister’s Chief Security Adviser Panitan Wattanayagorn said all Uighur detainees were being moved for their safety.

“I understand that this is a temporary resettlement of ethnic groups for the sake of safety and to improve living conditions,” he said when contacted by RFA.

However, he declined to comment on whether the government wanted to send the ethnic group back to China. He also said that in solving the problem, he knew that the tribe in question had fled to Thailand in search of security and a more comfortable life.

Therefore, he said, it was Thailand’s duty to handle the issue in accordance with international standards and obligations.

“We will not violate their basic rights by separating them from their families and we can guarantee to resolve this matter properly,” he said.

Previously, seven NGOs and the Islamic Council of Thailand in their statement questioned the transfer of Muslim Uighur detainees to Bangkok. The move raised fears that the government would send them back to China as previously requested.

The transfer of Uighur detainees came after three ethnic groups fled on July 11. An estimated 56 ethnic Uighurs are detained in Thailand after they are believed to have entered the country illegally over the past seven or eight years. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)