WASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday condemned Thailand's return of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where Washington says members of the Muslim group have faced genocide.
The move by Thailand, a U.S. ally, came despite urging by United Nations human rights experts not to return the Uyghurs the Thai government has held in detention for a decade, warning they were at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned.
Rights groups and some Western governments accuse Beijing of widespread abuse of Uyghurs, an ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in China's western region of Xinjiang. Beijing denies any wrongdoing.
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms Thailand's forced return of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where they lack due process rights and where Uyghurs have faced persecution, forced labor, and torture," Rubio said in a statement.
The top U.S. diplomat said Thailand risked "running afoul of its international obligations" under the U.N. Convention Against Torture and other global conventions, and called on Thai officials to "fully verify continuously" that Chinese authorities protect Uyghurs' human rights.
"We urge all governments in countries where Uyghurs seek protection not to forcibly return ethnic Uyghurs to China," Rubio said.
Rubio, who was a staunch advocate for Uyghurs when he served as a U.S. senator, reiterated that Beijing's treatment of the group had amounted to "genocide and crimes against humanity," a designation the U.S. first made in the waning hours of President Donald Trump's first term in 2021.
The Biden administration maintained the genocide designation, enraging Beijing, and the issue since has been a sticking point in rocky U.S.-China relations.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reacts as he meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty at the State Department in Washington, U.S., February 10, 2025. REUTERS/Craig Hudson/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Rubio said during his confirmation hearing in January that he would use the strong U.S. relationship with Thailand to prevent the Uyghurs from being sent back.
China denies allegations of forced labor toward Uyghurs, arguing it had established "vocational training centers" in recent years to curb terrorism, separatism and religious radicalism.
