US Embassy Warns of Retaliation Risk in Thailand After Uyghur Deportation

The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok has issued a warning to American citizens about potential "violent retaliatory attacks" following Thailand's deportation of 45 Uyghurs to China. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has strongly condemned the move. Thai police and security officials claim China has assured them that the deported men, held in custody for over a decade, will not face penalties or harm. According to Thai officials, the men voluntarily returned after being shown a translated agreement from China guaranteeing their normal lives. "Similar deportations have prompted violent retaliatory attacks in the past," the U.S. Embassy stated, highlighting the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing in Bangkok, which killed 20 and injured 125, as a direct consequence of a previous Uyghur deportation from Thailand. **I remember when that happened; the whole city was on edge. You never really think about how interconnected everything is until something like that hits so close to home.** The Embassy advises Americans in Thailand to exercise increased caution and vigilance, especially in tourist-heavy areas, given the potential for increased collateral risk. Rubio slammed the deportations, citing concerns over the Uyghurs' lack of due process rights and the potential for persecution, forced labor, and torture in China. Rubio emphasized the action risks violating Thailand's international obligations under the U.N. Convention Against Torture and the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. He urged governments worldwide not to forcibly return ethnic Uyghurs to China and called on Chinese authorities to grant full access to verify the well-being of those returned. Thai lawmakers, activists, and lawyers had previously raised alarms about the impending deportations. Trucks with covered windows were seen leaving Bangkok's Immigration Detention Center, reportedly transporting the men to Don Mueang airport for a flight to Xinjiang, the heartland of China's Uyghur population. The Chinese Embassy acknowledged the deportation of 40 Chinese nationals who, they claim, illegally entered Thailand, stating they were detained for over a decade due to "complicated international factors." **'Complicated international factors' – isn't that always the excuse?**