Thailand deports 48 Uyghurs to China, raising concerns

Thailand deports 48 Uyghurs to China, raising concerns

Sub :IR

Sec :Places in news

Context:

• Thailand deported dozens of Uyghurs to China recently, despite warnings from human rights organizations that they would face persecution upon their return. This decision drew immediate condemnation from the United Nations and international rights groups.

Background:

• China has been accused of committing human rights abuses in its Xinjiang region, including the detention of approximately one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.
• The Chinese government denies these allegations, asserting that its actions are part of counterterrorism efforts.

About Xinjiang:

• Xinjiang is an autonomous region within China.
• It is officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
• It shares borders with eight countries, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan to the northwest, Pakistan and India to the southwest, Mongolia to the northeast, Russia to the north, and Afghanistan to the west.

Who are Uyghurs:

• The Uyghurs are a predominantly Muslim minority Turkic ethnic group, primarily living in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of Chin, whose origins can be traced to Central and East Asia.
• The Uyghurs are considered to be one of the 55 officially recognized ethnic minority communities in China.  However, China recognises the community only as a regional minority and rejects that they are an indigenous group.