WASHINGTON – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on March 14, that the United States would impose visa restrictions on Thai government officials due to their involvement in the deportation of 40 Uyghur refugees back to China. The US claims that these individuals face the risk of harsh penalties if returned to China.
In a statement from the US Department of State, it was emphasized that the US is committed to combating China’s efforts to pressure governments into deporting Uyghurs and other groups back to China, where they are said to be victims of torture and enforced disappearances.
This move reflects the US’s determination to encourage Thailand and other countries to refrain from such deportations. However, Rubio’s statement did not mention the names of the Thai officials targeted by the sanctions.
The deportation of 40 Uyghur individuals, who had been living in a detention center in Thailand for over ten years, occurred despite repeated warnings from United Nations human rights experts, who stressed that these individuals were at risk of torture, cruel treatment, and potentially irreversible harm if sent back to China. The Thai authorities responded by stating that no country had seriously approached Thailand about accepting these Uyghurs.
Reuters reported earlier this month, citing anonymous sources, that Canada and the United States had offered to take in 48 Uyghur refugees from Thailand, but Thailand refrained from taking action due to concerns about potential problems with China.
“I have decided to immediately implement this measure by restricting visa issuance to Thai government officials, both past and present, who are involved in or complicit with the deportation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand on February 27,” Rubio stated.
“Since China has committed genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs for a long time, we call on governments worldwide to refrain from forcibly sending Uyghurs or other groups back to China.”
The US sanctions could also extend to the family members of the targeted individuals. In defense of its actions, the Thai government stated that the deportation had been carried out in accordance with Thai law and international human rights obligations. The Thai Embassy in Washington, DC has yet to comment on Rubio’s announcement.
While the US has previously imposed sanctions on Thailand, including suspending military aid following a coup, and targeting specific Thai individuals and companies for violating sanctions against third-party countries, Southeast Asia experts noted that this is the first time the US has targeted Thai officials directly with such sanctions.
Murray Hiebert, an expert from the Southeast Asia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, DC, remarked that he had never seen the US impose such sanctions on Thai government officials before.
Hiebert also pointed out that Thailand is particularly sensitive to criticism, but the reaction may not be as strong this time due to concerns over potential tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, as Thailand is the 11th largest trade surplus country with the US. “They may choose to remain quiet for now,” Hiebert said. “They are already in trouble, given that they have the 11th largest trade surplus with the US, and it’s still uncertain whether Thailand will be spared from Trump’s tariff orders set for April 2.”
Many analysts believe that Washington has been cautious about imposing harsh sanctions on Thailand in the past, fearing that it would push Thailand, a long-standing ally, closer to China.
On the other hand, the Campaign for Uyghurs, an organization dedicated to helping Uyghur people in Washington, DC, praised Rubio’s announcement, stating, “This sends a clear signal that those who enable the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to violate human rights will be held accountable for their crimes.”
