Thailand defends Uyghur deportation after US visa ban

Thailand’s Foreign Ministry has defended the government’s decision to deport Uyghurs who had been detained in Bangkok for a decade, stating that it had received assurances from the Chinese government regarding their safety.

The statement was issued in response to a US visa ban on Thai officials involved in the deportation.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced visa restrictions on an unspecified number of current and former Thai officials involved in the repatriation.

In a statement, the ministry said Thailand will continue to monitor the well-being of the group.

"Thailand has always valued, and will continue to value, the long-standing and close treaty alliance with the United States."

It insisted that it has always upheld a long tradition of humanitarianism, particularly in providing assistance to displaced persons from various countries for more than half a century and will continue to do so.

The Thai government has faced intense global criticism for its decision to hand over at least 40 Uyghurs to China. They were secretly deported and flown on a special flight to the north-western Xinjiang region in late February.

The Uyghurs had been arrested in Songkhla province 11 years ago, while attempting to travel to Malaysia.

The United States accuses China of genocide over its mass detention camps for Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim minority in Xinjiang. China rejects the accusations, insisting that the facilities provide vocational education to “improve Uyghurs' prospects.”