United News of Bangladesh

Thailand said Wednesday that China must submit a formal extradition request if it wants two Uyghur men returned, amid growing concerns that they could face torture or abuse upon their return. The two men recently appealed against being sent back to China through letters made public last week, expressing fears for their safety. Thailand's National Security Council chief Chaipruak Doungprapat said his agency would not decide their fate, unlike the case of 40 Uyghur men deported to China last year. Instead, the matter will be handled through the judicial system, allowing the two men to defend themselves in court. If the court rules in their favour, they could potentially be transferred to another country for resettlement. However, if the court rules against them, they will be extradited under the relevant treaty, Chaipruak said. Human rights activists and some Thai lawmakers have recently expressed fears that the two men, who have been held in Thailand for more than a decade, could soon be returned to China. The men were released from prison in late October but remain in custody at the Suan Plu immigration detention centre in Bangkok. China has repeatedly sought the return of around 300 Uyghurs detained by Thai authorities in 2014 while attempting to reach the Thai-Malaysian border, describing them as terrorists. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Wednesday that cooperation between China and Thailand in tackling cross-border crimes, including illegal immigration, complied with the laws of both countries and international law. However, she did not clarify whether Beijing had submitted a formal extradition request. The two Uyghur men, aged 26 and 35, wrote letters that were publicly circulated last week. "Every time we are worrying from China to take back us," one of them wrote in a letter shared by former lawmaker and Peace Rights Foundation founder Kannavee Suebsang, whose organisation represents the men. "We aren't terrorist," the man added. Opposition People's Party lawmaker Sasinan Thamnithinan said Tuesday that Thailand had obligations under domestic and international law to prevent anyone from being returned to a country where they could face torture or inhumane treatment. "Maintaining international relations is important, but it must not take precedence over human rights and the rule of law. No one should be sent back to face danger simply because the government wants to end a problem," she said in a statement. Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim Turkic ethnic group native to Xinjiang in northwestern China. Their long-standing tensions with Beijing involve allegations of discrimination and restrictions on their cultural identity. The Chinese government has carried out a severe crackdown on the community, which several Western governments have described as genocide. The two men belonged to a group of more than 300 Uyghurs who fled China and were detained by Thai authorities near the Malaysian border in 2014. Thailand subsequently sent a group consisting mainly of women and children to Turkey. In 2015, however, it deported 109 remaining detainees to China against their wishes, triggering international condemnation. In protest, demonstrators ransacked the Thai embassy in Turkey. The Thai government delayed a decision on the remaining detainees for more than a decade. In February 2025, Thailand returned another 40 Uyghur men to China despite appeals from Thai lawmakers and United Nations officials against the deportation.