Uyghurs facing deportation by Thailand say they will be ‘like slaves’ in China

<p>Activists fear Bangkok will give in to pressure from Beijing despite reports of torture and human rights abuses against the mostly muslim ethnic minority</p><p>The deportation of two more Uyghurs to China from Thailand would put their lives in grave danger, activists have said, with one of the men saying he would be “like a slave” if he was sent back.</p><p>Last year, Thai authorities <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/27/thailand-deports-dozens-of-uyghurs-to-china-despite-torture-fears">forcibly deported 40 Uyghur men</a> to China despite pleas from the men themselves and the UN. <br /> <br /> The US and Canada had reportedly <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/mar/05/us-offered-to-resettle-uyghurs-that-thailand-deported-to-china-sources-say">offered to resettle them</a>, but Bangkok appeared to want to avoid upsetting Beijing. The <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/02/chinas-silence-deepens-fears-over-disappeared-uyghur-returnees-year-warn-un">UN has said the returnees’ whereabouts remain unknown.</a></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/nov/08/uyghurs-thailand-china-forced-deportation">Continue reading...</a>