Uyghurs Facing Deportation From Thailand Say They Will Be ‘Like Slaves’ in China
Two Uyghur men held in Thailand for more than 12 years face being sent back to China, where human rights groups warn they risk torture, slavery and enforced disappearance. The case, reported by The Guardian on Sunday 8 November 2026, has put Bangkok under fresh international pressure just one day before the United Nations reviews Thailand’s human rights record.
The men, aged 26 and 35, were moved from prison to an immigration detention centre in Bangkok on 21 October 2026 after receiving a royal pardon. Their names are not public for security reasons. Both have told their lawyers they fear for their lives if returned to China and do not consent to deportation.
| Uyghur Deportation Case — Quick Reference Summary | |
|---|---|
| Men at risk | Two Uyghur men, aged 26 and 35; names withheld for security reasons |
| Held in Thailand since | 13 March 2014, detained near the Thai-Malaysian border |
| Original group | More than 300 Uyghurs detained in 2014; five remain in Thailand |
| Prison sentence | Seven years for offences linked to an attempted escape from immigration detention in January 2020 |
| Released from prison | 21 October 2026, under a royal pardon |
| Current location | Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre, Bangkok |
| Previous forced return | 40 Uyghur men deported to China on 27 February 2025; their whereabouts remain unknown, according to the United Nations |
| Warnings issued by | Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch |
| Risks cited | Torture, arbitrary detention, slavery and enforced disappearance |
| Next key date | UN Human Rights Council review of Thailand’s human rights record, Monday 9 November 2026 |
Two Men, Twelve Years in Detention, and a Letter That Said “Like a Slave”
One of the men was only 14 years old when Thai police detained him in 2014. He and the other man were part of a group of more than 300 Uyghurs who had fled China and were detained without charge near the Malaysian border on 13 March 2014. Both men have now spent more than 12 years in Thai detention.
In July 2026, the girlfriend of one of the men received a letter from him in which he wrote that he would be “like a slave” if he was sent back to China. She asked to be referred to by her Islamic alias, Marzeyya Kasem. Her boyfriend told The Guardian he wanted to go “anywhere else but China”.
The two men pleaded their case to the office of Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission on Wednesday 4 November 2026. Human Rights Watch said Thai immigration authorities have repeatedly refused to allow the United Nations refugee agency access to the men to determine their refugee status.
How the Two Men Reached Suan Phlu Detention Centre
The men were serving seven-year prison sentences for offences linked to an attempted escape from immigration detention in January 2020. They were released from Bangkok Central Prison under a royal pardon on 21 October 2026 and transferred the same day to the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok.
Three other Uyghurs from the same group remain in prison, with about another year of their sentences to serve. The five men are the last of the group of more than 300 detained in 2014 still held in Thailand.
In June 2015, Thailand allowed 173 Uyghur women and children from the group to travel to Türkiye, but deported at least 109 others to China. The Chinese embassy in Bangkok demanded the return of the remaining men in August 2026, according to Human Rights Watch.
What Bangkok Says: Extradition Requests and the Courts
Thailand’s National Security Council chief, Chaipruak Doungprapat, told reporters that the men, along with the three still in prison, had arrest warrants outstanding in China. He said on Wednesday 4 November that China must make a formal extradition request if it wants the two men returned, and that the process would go through the courts, where the men will be able to defend themselves.
It is not clear whether Beijing has yet made a formal extradition request. The National Security Council chief said that if a court rules in the men’s favour, it is possible for them to be sent to another country for resettlement. If the court rules against them, they will be extradited under the treaty.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday that “China and Thailand’s cooperation in combating cross-border crimes, including illegal immigration, is in accordance with the laws of both countries, as well as international law and international practice.” An immigration bureau deputy commander separately told the AFP news agency that the two men could be deported to China or another country, depending on the Thai government’s decision.
The 2025 Precedent: Forty Men Sent Back, and Still No Answers
The warning from rights groups carries weight because Thailand has done this before. On 27 February 2025, Thai authorities took 40 Uyghur men from immigration detention and forcibly returned them to China, despite pleas from the men themselves, Thai lawmakers and UN officials.
The United Nations says the whereabouts of those 40 men remain unknown. Thai representatives later visited China’s Xinjiang region, but the men’s well-being has not been fully established. Amnesty International said a Chinese embassy letter dated 7 January 2025 had requested the return of 45 Uyghur men who remained in Thailand at the time.
The treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang has drawn condemnation around the world. The United Nations has described it as a potential crime against humanity, and Amnesty’s 2021 report documented crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups in the region. Beijing says the Uyghurs are extremists, but has not presented evidence for that claim against these men.
What International Law Says About Forced Returns
Amnesty International warned on 6 November that deporting the two men would endanger their lives and violate international law. Its Secretary-General, Agnès Callamard, called on the Thai government to halt any plans to return them, provide access to lawyers of their choice and find a safe third-country solution.
Amnesty cited Thailand’s obligations under the Convention against Torture and Article 13 of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act, which prohibits deportation where there are substantial grounds to believe a person would face torture, ill-treatment or enforced disappearance.
Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, urged Thailand to let the men travel to a safe third country. Human Rights Watch said the Thai government is obligated to respect the international law principle of non-refoulement, which bars the forcible return of anyone to a place where they face a genuine risk of persecution, torture or other serious human rights violations.
The case also lands in a week when Beijing’s reach is under scrutiny elsewhere. Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in Hong Kong on Thursday 5 November 2026 under the national security law, while MPs warned the UK is “making up China policy as it goes” in a 102-page report published on Monday 2 November 2026.
What Happens Next: A UN Review and a Decision Still Unmade
No decision on the men’s destination has been confirmed. The United Nations Human Rights Council is due to review Thailand’s human rights record on Monday 9 November 2026, the day after this case was reported, which puts the timing of any deportation under an unusually bright spotlight.
The men have appointed lawyers and, according to Thailand’s National Security Council, have already met them. Whether the courts accept an extradition request, and whether any third country offers resettlement, will decide whether the two men spend a thirteenth year in detention in Thailand, start a new life elsewhere, or are sent back to the country they fled in 2014.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the two Uyghur men facing deportation from Thailand?
Their names are not public for security reasons. They are aged 26 and 35 and have been detained in Thailand since 13 March 2014, when they were part of a group of more than 300 Uyghurs detained near the Malaysian border after fleeing China.
Why do the men say they would be “like slaves” in China?
One of the men wrote in a letter in July 2026 that he would be “like a slave” if sent back to China. Rights groups warn the men face torture, arbitrary detention, slavery and enforced disappearance, and point to the fate of 40 Uyghur men deported in February 2025, whose whereabouts remain unknown.
Why were the men in prison in Thailand?
They were serving seven-year prison sentences for offences linked to an attempted escape from immigration detention in January 2020. They were released under a royal pardon on 21 October 2026 and moved to the Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok.
Has Thailand decided to deport them?
No decision has been confirmed. Thailand’s National Security Council chief said China must make a formal extradition request and the matter would go through the courts. If a court rules in the men’s favour, they could be resettled in a third country; if it rules against them, they will be extradited under the treaty.
What do Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch want?
Both organisations want Thailand to halt any deportation, give the men access to lawyers of their choice, and allow them to travel to a safe third country. They cite Thailand’s obligations under the Convention against Torture and the principle of non-refoulement.
Myth-busting: It is not true that the men have been found guilty of any offence in China. The arrest warrants cited by Thai officials are Chinese warrants, and the men have not been convicted by any court of the offences those warrants allege. It is also not true that deportation is the only option: Thailand’s own officials have said a court ruling in the men’s favour could lead to resettlement in a third country.
