Bangkok [Thailand], January 30 : Chuchart Kanpai, a Thai attorney, has petitioned for the release of 42 Uyghur men who have been detained in Thailand for over ten years. The men were arrested on immigration charges in 2013 while escaping alleged persecution in China. They are members of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, a predominantly Muslim minority community, according to a report published by Radio Free Asia.
In his appeal filed with a Thai court on Thursday, Chuchart stressed the prolonged length of the Uyghurs' detention and contended that their lengthy imprisonment has been illegal.
"They spent more than ten years in prison, from 2013 to 2025. "They completed the sentence," Chuchart said in the petition, as per a copy stated by RFA.
The petition was filed as human rights organizations became more concerned that the arrested Uyghurs might be sent to China, where they would be at serious risk of torture and other atrocities as reported by RFA.
Thai authorities have been forcing the detainees to complete paperwork that could lead to their deportation, according to a report by the advocacy group Justice for All as quoted by RFA. Last week, however, a representative of the Thai government denied these allegations, claiming that Thailand had "no policy" to deport the Uyghurs and brushing off worries of forced repatriation, RFA said.
The Uyghur minority's predicament has garnered international attention, and UN experts have urged Thailand to refrain from deporting any of the inmates that would put them in danger. In China, Uyghurs have been accused of widespread repression, forced labour, and mass detentions in internment camps all of which the Chinese government denies highlighted RFA.
RFA reported that in his appeal, Chuchart demands that the 42 Uyghurs be released immediately, claiming that their prolonged confinement is illegal. The case will be heard by the Thai court on February 17 and witnesses from groups like the World Uyghur Congress are anticipated to testify.
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