China seeks extradition of five Uyghurs from Thailand — SkimNews
Get the Geopolitics newsletter
Daily geopolitics — wars, elections, sanctions, the diplomatic moves that move markets. Free.
- Thailand granted the five men the right to contest China’s extradition request before approving their deportation; two were appointed lawyers, and the courts will decide the challenge.
- Ekkapob Pianpises said two of the five are near completing their sentences for escaping detention, while the other three must spend another year in Thai jail.
- Mao Ning said China-Thailand cooperation on cross-border crimes such as human smuggling was in line with both countries’ laws, international law and practice.
- Human Rights Watch urged Thailand to halt the extradition, saying the five face a grave risk of torture and other abuses in China. Elaine Pearson said previous Thai governments kept Uyghurs in inhumane detention for years before sending them to China, where they were forcibly disappeared; Beijing denies such abuses.
- Thailand sent nearly 100 Uyghurs from the 2014 group back to China in 2015 and deported another 40 in February 2025 despite appeals from United Nations human rights experts to halt their return.
- 1993 extradition treaty between Thailand and China entered into force in 1999 and requires requests under the pact to go through Thai courts.
Why it matters: Thailand’s decision gives the five men a court challenge before removal, after nearly 100 were deported in 2015 and 40 more in February 2025 despite UN appeals. For Beijing, extradition now depends on Thai judges; three men must serve another year in jail, and rights groups cite a grave risk of torture in China.
Ask SkimNews
