Activists in Japan demand urgent action as detained Uyghurs in Thailand face deportation risk

Tokyo [Japan], January 21 (ANI): As 48 detained Uyghurs remain trapped in a prolonged state of uncertainty and fear in Thailand, Rushan Abbas, Executive Director of Campaign for Uyghurs, alongside members of the Japan Uyghur Association, addressed the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary Friendship Group at the Japanese Parliament on Tuesday to raise alarm over their dire situation in the Southeast Asian country.
The group urged Japan and the international community to take immediate action to prevent their deportation to China, where they risk facing severe persecution, torture, and even death. The Uyghur leaders highlighted the ongoing oppression of the Uyghur people by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), calling for stronger international solidarity in opposing these abuses. Campaign For Uyghurs shared the pictures of the meeting in a post on X.
In a post on X, Campaign for Uyghurs stated, "At the Japanese Parliament this morning, CFU Executive Director @RushanAbbas and the @realuyghurj addressed the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary Friendship Group, highlighting the plight of the 48 Uyghur men detained in Thailand. They urged Japan to take action and do everything possible to help end the CCP's oppression of the Uyghur people."

At the Japanese Parliament this morning, CFU Executive Director @RushanAbbas and the @realuyghurj addressed the Japan Uyghur Parliamentary Friendship Group, highlighting the plight of the 48 Uyghur men detained in Thailand. They urged Japan to take action and do everything… pic.twitter.com/C1jWcM0tNi

— Campaign For Uyghurs (@CUyghurs) January 21, 2025

The address coincided with a growing global movement in defence of Uyghur refugees. Recently, the World Uyghur Congress and affiliated organisations, along with other Uyghur groups, organised protests outside Thai embassies around the world. These rallies demanded that Thailand halt its plans to forcibly return the 48 Uyghur refugees to China, where they would likely face the brutal realities of Chinese detention camps, forced labour, and potential execution.
Adding to the pressure, the East Turkistan Government in Exile has also condemned both Thailand and Turkey for reportedly considering the deportation of Uyghur asylum seekers back to China. In a statement, the government-in-exile called such actions a blatant violation of international law, specifically the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of individuals to countries where they face grave risks. The East Turkistan Government warned that such deportations would make these countries complicit in the ongoing genocide against the Uyghur people.
The statement from the East Turkistan Government in Exile urged international bodies such as the United Nations, as well as democratic nations including the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Japan, to take swift and decisive action to protect Uyghur refugees. It called for these nations to facilitate asylum and resettlement for the detained Uyghurs in safe countries, urging global solidarity in the face of the Chinese government's genocidal policies.
The international community has widely condemned China's treatment of the Uyghur people, particularly in the Xinjiang region, where millions have been subjected to systematic human rights violations. These include arbitrary detentions in "re-education camps," forced labor, destruction of Uyghur culture and religion, and mass surveillance.
Reports of forced sterilizations, family separations, and indoctrination campaigns have raised the alarm worldwide. The Chinese government denies these allegations, claiming its actions are part of a necessary counter-extremism effort, yet multiple human rights organizations and governments have recognized these actions as constituting genocide and crimes against humanity. (ANI)