DEPUTY Prime Minister/Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong accompanied by executives of government agencies and the media arrived at China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to check on the welfare of Uyghurs deported from Thailand at 9.40 a.m. local time (an hour ahead of Thailand) this morning (March 19), Amarin TV said.
A total of 40 Uyghur men were deported to China on the night of February 27 with this following return of 109 others there and 170 to Turkey in 2015. The Thai government has suffered intense criticism from around the world for its decision to deport them.
The two Thai ministers were welcomed by Deputy Minister of Public Security Chu Datong then held talks with Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee Qi Yanjun, Chu Datong and their team. They were briefed on the care for those Thailand deported particularly the 40 Uyghur men who arrived last month.
In the afternoon the Thai delegation will split up into two groups with each led by one of the two ministers and will travel separately to visit the Uyghur deportees at their residences, which are approximately 100-300 kilometers from the city of Kashgar, being accompanied by minister-level Chinese representatives.
In the evening they will visit local villages and the Id Kah Mosque, and hold discussions with Islamic religious leaders. They will also be holding a video conference with doctors who treated the deported Uyghurs.
Then, at approximately 8 p.m., the Thai delegation will hold discussions with Mr. Ma Xingrui, a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Communist Party of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and attend a reception at Kashgar Hotel, the state-run guest house.
Thai authorities have indicated that this will not be the last visit, as Thailand plans to conduct regular assessments to monitor the situation. Future visits will be arranged to ensure continued oversight and to provide updates on the status of the repatriated individuals, NNT said.
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Top and Front Page: Deputy Prime Minister/Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong in Xinjiang.
Insert: Justice Minister Thavi Sodsong. Photos: Amarin TV
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