Deputy PM Phumtham defends Thai delegation’s visit to Xinjiang as NGOs slam trip as propaganda for China. Criticism mounts over staged meetings and restricted access as officials insist interactions with Uyghurs were genuine despite scepticism from rights groups.
On Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai lashed out at criticism of photographs and messaging as Thai officials met deported Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The visits have prompted NGOs and other activists to criticise the visits as a whitewash. Indeed, the President of NGO Justice for All slammed the trip as propaganda for the Chinese Communist Party. In turn, Mr Phumtham has insisted that the interactions with the resettled Uyghurs were sincere and genuine. Commenting on less-than-convincing photographs, he replied that they were not Hollywood actors who could laugh and cry on command.
A high-powered Thai delegation with a media group has just completed a three-day visit to Xinjiang in China to visit deported Uyghurs who were suddenly lifted from Thailand on February 27th.
Certainly, the deportation operation took place amid secrecy and in the dead of night. On Wednesday, Mao Ning, a fiery Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs diplomat, steadfastly tamped down any criticisms of the move.
Indeed, Ms. Ning insisted it was strictly a government-to-government matter between Thailand and China linked with security.
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Nonetheless, the visit went ahead on Tuesday. At length, the activities of the Thai delegation in Xinjiang have been covered by foreign media, particularly in Singapore and in the United States.
Previously, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed travel bans on several Thai officials linked with the move.
Certainly, this is thought to include ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and furthermore, cabinet ministers including Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra. However, the results of the trip to Xinjiang on Thursday appeared mixed at best.
In Kashgar, approximately 1,110 km from the Xinjiang capital Urumqi, Thai officials and the press corps divided up their work.
Some stayed in Kashgar while others, including Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, visited the homes of the Uyghurs some 100 to 200 km away.
Footage from Uyghur meetings raises concerns over staging and limited access for Thai officials in Xinjiang
In short, the images and footage from these encounters have not been convincing. For instance, the Uyghurs appeared stilted and were not fully understood by the Thai delegation. They relied on Chinese interpreters.
Furthermore, the Thai delegation was heavily surrounded by public security and military officials. At the same time, Chinese officials insisted that the press only publish photos with faces blurred.
In brief, this was for privacy purposes. Meanwhile, a photo of Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham emerged as he appeared to hug two Uyghurs.
Significantly, these were the same two Uyghurs seen in widely criticised photos on February 27 after the plane carrying the Uyghurs landed in China.
Afterwards, on Thursday at 10 am China time, the deputy premier urged the media in Thailand to exercise caution. In particular, he urged them to appreciate that this was a sensitive matter. Moreover, it involved confidence and Thailand’s perception abroad.
Deputy PM defends Uyghur deportation trip while urging Thai media to handle the issue with sensitivity
Referring particularly to the stiff expressions of the Uyghurs, he lashed out. ‘They are not Hollywood actors who can cry on command,’ he declared.
Indeed, the photos from the occasion showed the Uyghurs seated with Thai officials. The atmosphere seemingly appeared strained. Meanwhile, food placed on tables appeared to be untouched.
Subsequently, in a video connection with another group of Uyghurs with the Thai delegation in Kashgar, this was corrected. An open drink can was on the table while the participants appeared to smile. Certainly, no one can be sure whether or not the reaction was genuine.
Indeed, the Thai government officials on the spot insist that they were. Nonetheless, there is scepticism among impartial observers, the media, and undoubtedly rights groups.
Afterwards, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham and the Minister of Justice met the Imam of the Kah Mosque in Kashgar.
At length, this encounter provided the most credible evidence. In brief, the Imam explained that the Uyghurs had been reunited with their old homes. In addition, he told the Thai ministers that their living standards were better than before.
Thai delegation meets Uyghurs and religious leaders as China insists on improved living conditions
At the same time, he explained that other Uyghurs who had been sick upon arrival from over 10 years in detention in Bangkok were hospitalised.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham told reporters that the Uyghurs the Thai delegation had met were all volunteers. Notably, he spoke of the emotion shown by one man who gripped his hand very tightly when they met.
In addition to the minister and press corps, Government House spokesman Jirayu Huangsap was also on the trip. However, on Thursday, a well-known non-governmental organisation (NGO), Justice for All, slammed the operation.
The President of the group, Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, accused the government of spreading propaganda. Essentially, he said the images and messages from Kashgar were an insult to persecuted Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
At length, he said countless Uyghurs have disappeared or were possibly tortured by Chinese authorities.
In the meantime, he described messaging from the trip as the dissemination of a distorted picture. Indeed, he dismissed assurances that the Uyghurs were being treated well as false.
NGO condemns visit to Xinjiang, accusing government of spreading propaganda for China on Uyghur’s treatment
Another activist, Arslan Haidaya, the head of the Save Uyghur campaign, described the spectacle as an insult to the Uyghur community in Xinjiang.
Furthermore, he accused Thailand of undermining international pressure to address the genocide of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
In August 2022, United Nations Commissioner Michelle Bachelet issued a report condemning the Chinese party’s activities in Xinjiang as possible crimes against humanity.
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The former United Nations official particularly cited the detention of over 1 million Uyghurs in internment camps without due process. In addition, Ms. Bachelet noted the destruction of over a dozen mosques.
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China and Thailand close ranks on Uyghur issue as Deputy PM Phumtham leads a delegation to Xinjiang
