A United Nations agency is pressing Thailand to letmore than 50 ethnic Uighurs travel to Turkey, instead ofsending them to China. Thai officials have facedcriticism from rights groups and other countries forforcibly returning another group of Uighurs to Chinaearlier this month.

Thai National Security Council Secretary General Anusit Kunakorn talks to reporters at government house in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, July 20, 2015.

The secretary general of Thailand’s National SecurityCouncil has been attempting to ease fears over China’streatment of the returned Uighurs. This week, AnusitKundakorn went to the detention center in Xinjiang where the 109 Uighurs arebeing held. He told Thai reporters that they are living in good conditions. Hecalled the camp “clean and neat.”

The official said 13 of those sent to China are being investigated for possibleinvolvement in terrorism. China has accused some Uighurs of working withmilitants such as the Islamic State group.

Thai officials have been negotiating with both China and Turkey for more thana year. The talks were launched after more than 350 Uighurs were found inhiding in Thailand.

About 180 Uighurs, mostly women and children, were sent to Turkey afterreceiving legal immigration documents. Turkey often provides suchdocuments to Uighurs because of cultural links to the ethnic minority andclaims that Uighur Muslims face persecution in China.

But more than 50 Uighurs remain at a Bangkok immigration detention center.

Vivian Tan is with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Shesays the Thai government should give the group permission to travel freely.

“Well, basically, UNHCR has appealed to the government of Thailand torefrain from deporting people forcibly in (the) future. We’re urging thegovernment to allow people who are still here (in Thailand) to depart voluntarilyto a place where the government is willing to receive them.”

Benjamin Zawacki is a human rights advocate and lawyer. He says Thailandfailed to let international organizations examine the cases of the Uighurrefugees before sending them to China.

The Uighurs in Thailand have denied that they are from China. They insteadclaim that they are from Turkey. Turkish officials have visited them andprovided them with legal travel documents to enter Turkey. But Thai officialshave delayed the process because of pressure from China.

Because of criticism of Thailand’s actions, the National Human RightsCommission called an urgent meeting of officials from national security,immigration and the foreign ministry. United Nations officials and human rightsorganizations also were invited to the talks.

Commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara said processing future refugee claimsmust be based on human rights values. He also said that the more than 50Uighurs still in Thailand should be sent to Turkey. But reports say Chineseofficials are keeping pressure on Thailand to send the Uighurs to China.

Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has declined to comment on wherethe Uighurs will be sent. He has only said that they will remain in Thailand “for a while.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

Ron Corben reported this story for VOANews.com. Ashley Thompsonadapted it for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

forcibly -adj. made or done with physical force

persecution – n. the act of threatening of treating others in a harmful waybecause of their race, religion or other beliefs

advocate– n. someone who argues for or supports a cause; activist