ANI
01 Mar 2025, 14:36 GMT+10
Washington DC [US], March 1 (ANI): US Representative Christopher Smith, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of both the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the Uyghur Caucus, has blamed Thailand Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra for the deportation of Uyghur refugees to China and called on the US to impose sanctions against her.
In the statement, Smith stated, 'The government of Thailand forcibly repatriated 45 Uyghur refugees to Communist China in violation of its obligations under the Convention against Torture. Culpability for this lies directly with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The United States must sanction her and her family, including via Treasury sanctions.'
'As the Chinese Communist Party will likely subject the renditioned Uyghurs to forced labor, Thailand's complicity in this should also be reflected in Thailand's tier ranking in the Trafficking in Persons report. When coupled with tolerance for sex tourism and backpedaling on enforcing protections for labor trafficking in the fishing sector, the Government of Thailand has forfeited any goodwill generated by its previous efforts at trafficking reform,' stated Smith.
Smith has been in communication with the US State Department, which has noted that the 45 refugees have been sent back involuntarily, amid international condemnation and concerns about the refugees' safety, according to the statement. The contentious deportation has been publicly acknowledged by Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayacha and reported in Chinese media.
Earlier, the United States criticized the Thailand government for forcibly sending back 40 Uyghur refugees to China. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the importance of treating the Uyghurs 'with dignity' and ensuring the protection of their rights.
In a post on X, Rubio wrote: 'Thailand forcibly returned a group of Uyghurs to China. As a longstanding ally of Thailand, we are alarmed by this action, which runs afoul of its international obligations.'
'The US condemns this action. We urge the Thai government to ensure and verify that the Uyghurs are treated with dignity and that their rights are protected,' he added.
The situation regarding China's Uyghur population, primarily based in Xinjiang, has drawn significant international attention. Reports indicate widespread human rights abuses, including forced labour, arbitrary detentions in so-called 're-education' camps, and surveillance. (ANI)
Get a daily dose of International Travel News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to International Travel News.
More InformationCAPE TOWN, South Africa: An international summit on global poverty faced setbacks this week as key finance leaders skipped the G20...
ATLANTA, Georgia: After two years of declining same-store sales, Home Depot finally saw a turnaround in the fourth quarter, fueled...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rallied on Friday as economic data showed the U.S. Federal Reserve has likely tamed inflation. The...
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Federal Reserve seemingly has inflation under control with the latest econbomic data confirming little push...
COPENHAGEN, Denmark: A remote Arctic facility designed to preserve the world's agricultural diversity is set to receive a major new...
LONON, U.K.: British Petroleum is set to abandon its ambitious renewable energy expansion targets in favor of a stronger focus on fossil...
DUBLIN, Ireland: Dublin has unveiled a new 5.5 million euro cycle track along the south quays, enhancing safety and accessibility for...
MEXICO CITY, Mexico: Three American women were found dead over the weekend at a beach resort in Belize, police said. Officials are...
ABU DHABI, UAE - Etihad Airways has announced plans to deploy its Airbus A380 aircraft on the Abu Dhabi–Toronto route starting June...
LOS ANGELES, California: The Trump administration is once again challenging California's high-speed rail project, with federal transportation...
BLAGNAC, France: Airbus has set a target of delivering around 820 commercial jets in 2025, marking a seven percent increase from the...
Washington DC [US], March 1 (ANI): US Representative Christopher Smith, a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and...