Munich [Germany], March 17 (ANI): The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has expressed its appreciation for the recent sanctions imposed by the US State Department on Thai officials involved in the deportation of Uyghur refugees to China.

In a statement shared on the social media platform X, WUC stated, 'The World Uyghur Congress welcomes and thanks the US Department of State for imposing sanctions on Thai officials involved in the deportation of Uyghurs to China. This decisive action sends a strong message that complicity in persecution of Uyghurs will not go unpunished. We urge other governments to follow this example and take concrete measures to protect Uyghur refugees and hold those responsible for their deportation accountable.'

https://x.com/UyghurCongress/status/1900877513531822360

The US State Department announced on Friday that it would impose sanctions on an undisclosed number of current and former Thai officials involved in deporting at least 40 Uyghur men to China, despite concerns they could be imprisoned or even executed there. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that he has swiftly taken action to enforce visa restrictions on those responsible for the deportations.

The deportation of Uyghur refugees from Thailand to China has been a long-standing point of contention for human rights organisations. Human rights organisations have urged countries to adopt policies that protect the rights and safety of Uyghur refugees, ensuring they are not forcibly returned to a country where they face grave human rights abuses.

Earlier, Amnesty International had also condemned Thailand's decision to deport Uyghur detainees to China, calling it 'unimaginably cruel.' Sarah Brooks, Amnesty's China Director, emphasised that returning these Uyghurs to China exposes them to serious human rights violations, including torture, arbitrary detention, and enforced disappearance, as seen in Xinjiang. Brooks highlighted that the men had already suffered over a decade of arbitrary detention in Thailand after fleeing repression in China.

The Uyghurs, a Muslim ethnic group in China's Xinjiang region, face severe persecution, including mass detention in 're-education' camps, forced labour, surveillance, cultural suppression, and torture. According to several media reports, the Chinese government's crackdown aims to eliminate Uyghur identity, religion, and autonomy, leading to widespread human rights violations and international condemnation. (ANI)