Geneva [Switzerland], March 2 : The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has expressed grave concern over the fate and whereabouts of 40 Uyghur Muslim men who were forcibly returned to China by Thai authorities a year ago, warning that their disappearance reflects a broader pattern of transnational repression targeting ethnic and religious minorities.
In a press release issued today, UN experts said the men were deported on 27 February 2025 under what was described as intense pressure from the Chinese Government and without the safeguards required under the customary international law principle of non-refoulement.
The experts stressed that the forced returns exposed the men to the risk of gross human rights violations, including enforced disappearance, torture, and arbitrary deprivation of life.
According to the OHCHR report, prior to their deportation, the 40 Uyghur men had been held incommunicado for more than a decade at Bangkok's Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre.
They were reportedly detained in substandard conditions and denied contact with their families, legal representatives, or the outside world.
"The disappearances reflect a broader pattern of transnational repression targeting ethnic and religious minorities and individuals perceived to be critical of the Chinese Government," the UN experts said, as cited by the OHCHR report.
The experts underscored that despite China's official response, there remains a lack of reliable, comprehensive, and independently verified information regarding the men's fate and whereabouts.
"Families have received no communication, no confirmation of the place of detention or whereabouts, and no indication as to whether their loved ones are even alive," the statement said.
The OHCHR further noted that the deportations were carried out despite urgent and repeated appeals from the United Nations, international human rights mechanisms, Thailand's National Human Rights Commission, and several civil society organisations.
"We are dismayed that the forced returns from Thailand were carried out despite urgent and repeated appeals," the experts said, adding that the persistent use of forced returns and transnational repression constitutes a blatant breach of international human rights law obligations and fundamental values of humanity and human dignity.
The UN experts also deplored China's continued denial of confidential and timely access to legal counsel for detainees.
They observed that many detainees in the country have been refused legal visits for months or even years under broad "national security" claims.
Families often receive inconsistent or misleading information, making it impossible to verify the condition or whereabouts of their relatives.
Citing credible reports and victim testimonies, the OHCHR highlighted that Chinese authorities systematically subject relatives of detainees and wider local communities to tight surveillance, monitoring their movements, communications, and social interactions.
This pervasive oversight, the experts warned, creates a climate of fear in which families are too intimidated to seek information or speak publicly about their cases.
"Denying legal access while intimidating families into silence creates an environment where serious human rights violations can unfold, unchecked," the experts cautioned.
"Silencing relatives not only deepens their suffering, but obstructs genuine accountability. Justice cannot be pursued in silence."
The OHCHR urged China to guarantee the safety and well-being of the 40 Uyghur returnees by granting independent monitors unhindered and private access, and by ensuring that families and local communities are not left in fear and uncertainty.
The experts further called on Thailand and other States to end the forced return of Uyghurs to China and appealed to the international community to strengthen safeguards against refoulement and ensure accountability for acts of transnational repression.