Bangkok, March 6 (Reuters) - A Thai minister explained that Thailand's decision to deport 40 Uyghurs to China last week was made to avoid potential retaliation from Beijing, as stated on Thursday.
Despite objections from United Nations human rights experts, Thailand proceeded with the deportation, citing the risk the Uyghurs could face upon return to China.
Thailand's Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Russ Jalichandra, mentioned on Thursday that some countries had offered to resettle the Uyghurs, signaling a departure from earlier denials by Thai officials. While he didn't disclose the countries, reports indicated that the US, Canada, and Australia had made such offers, which were deemed "unrealistic" by Russ due to the potential repercussions with China.
He underscored that relocating the Uyghurs would not shield Thailand from Chinese backlash, highlighting that sending them to China was considered the most viable option to avoid adverse consequences. However, Russ did not detail the possible reprisals.
China's Foreign Ministry and Embassy in Bangkok have not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the vice minister's statements on potential retaliation.
Following the deportation, China's Foreign Ministry clarified that the individuals repatriated by Thailand were deemed illegal migrants under Chinese, Thai, and international laws.
The 40 Uyghurs sent back last week were part of a group of 300 who had fled China and had been detained in Thailand since 2014, with some being repatriated earlier and others remaining in Thai custody for over a decade.