Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ), senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, and co-chair of the Uyghur Caucus, released the following statement on Thailand’s refoulement of Uyghur refugees to China:

          “The government of Thailand forcibly repatriated 45 Uyghur refugees to Communist China in violation of its obligations under the Convention against Torture. Culpability for this lies directly with Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. The United States must sanction her and her family, including via Treasury sanctions.

          “As the Chinese Communist Party will likely subject the renditioned Uyghurs to forced labor, Thailand’s complicity in this should also be reflected in Thailand’s tier ranking in the Trafficking in Persons report. When coupled with tolerance for sex tourism and backpedaling on enforcing protections for labor trafficking in the fishing sector, the Government of Thailand has forfeited any goodwill generated by its previous efforts at trafficking reform.”

          Smith has been in contact with the U.S. State Department, which indicated that the 45 refugees have been deported against their will, despite international outcry and fears for the refugees’ fate. The highly controversial deportation has been confirmed publicly by Deputy Prime Minister/Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayacha, as well as in Chinese media.

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