Lawmakers Say Thailand Could Face US Sanctions If It Returns Uyghur Refugees to China
The U.S. will have to consider "all available measures, including sanctions," if Thailand moves ahead with plans to forcibly deport 48 Uyghur refugees to China, the leaders of the House Select Committee on China said in a joint statement Feb. 26.
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Reps. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., the committee’s chairman and ranking member, respectively, said the refugees could face imprisonment, torture or death if returned to China, where Uyghurs face systematic persecution.
The lawmakers urged Thailand to “work with the U.S. and international partners to find a humane, lawful resolution for these refugees." The Royal Thai Embassy in Washington, D.C., didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Several other lawmakers, including the leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also have raised concerns about the possible deportation.