Geneva [Switzerland], January 22 (ANI): The government of Thailand must immediately halt the possible transfer of 48 Uyghurs to the People’s Republic of China, United Nations experts said on Tuesday, warning that the group was at real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment if they are returned.
“The treatment of the Uyghur minority in China is well-documented,” the experts said. “We are concerned they are at risk of suffering irreparable harm, in violation of the international prohibition on refoulement to torture.”
“The prohibition on refoulement prohibits the return or transfer in any manner whatsoever to a country where there is real risk of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment,” the experts recalled.
The experts urged Thailand to provide adequate and comprehensive medical care to the group of Uyghurs without delay.
The 48 Uyghurs are said to be part of a larger group of approximately 350 persons who were arrested in Thailand in 2014 after irregularly crossing the Thai border to seek protection in Thailand.
It was alleged that they have been held in de facto incommunicado detention for over a decade, with no access to lawyers, family members, representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) or the High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
“It is our view that these persons should not be returned to China. Instead, they must be provided with access to asylum procedures and other humanitarian assistance, including medical and psycho-social support in Thailand,” the experts said.
“We are informed that 23 of the 48 individuals suffer from serious health conditions, including diabetes, kidney dysfunction, paralysis of the lower body, skin diseases, gastrointestinal illnesses, and heart and lung conditions,” they said. “It is essential they be provided with the necessary and appropriate medical care.”
The experts reminded the Thai authorities that all persons deprived of liberty must be treated in a humane manner and with respect for their inherent dignity, which requires that non-criminal detainees be accommodated separately and in appropriate conditions for their status. They should always have access, inter alia, to effective legal representation and adequate medical assistance; prompt judicial review of their deprivation of liberty; remedies for any violations; and the possibility to communicate with a lawyer of choice, their relatives and to be visited by independent human rights monitoring bodies.
Five Uyghur detainees reportedly died in detention in Thailand in the past 11 years. Two of them were children.
“Inadequate conditions of detention, including lack of access to adequate medical care, can contribute to deaths and serious injury in detention. Loss of life occurring in custody creates a presumption of arbitrary deprivation of life by State authorities, which can only be rebutted through proper investigation, which complies with international standards,” the experts said.
“We call for a prompt, effective investigation and assessment of all the circumstances of the arrest and continued deprivation of liberty of this group of persons,” they said. “Should it be found that they are being arbitrarily deprived of liberty, or in a manner inconsistent with international human rights standards, they should be released without delay.”
The experts urged Thai authorities to give the detainees access to their legal representatives and to relevant UN agencies. They have written to the government and will continue to monitor the situation. (ANI)
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