Uyghur leader urges UN to stop forced return of refugees to China

Dolkun Isa, head of the Uyghur Centre for Democracy, addressed the UN Human Rights Council, urging member states to uphold the non-refoulement principle and prevent the forced return of Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers to China.

Dolkun Isa, President of the Uyghur Centre for Democracy, has urged UN member states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure that Uyghurs fleeing alleged persecution in China are not forcibly returned to the country.

Addressing the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Isa said Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers faced the risk of serious human rights violations if returned to China.

Documented Cases and Transnational Repression

“Over the past two decades, we have documented more than 400 cases of refoulement affecting Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers, including from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Central Asian countries,” Isa said.

He alleged that in several cases, governments had cooperated with China in returning Uyghur human rights defenders who, according to the organisation, were fleeing persecution.

“Most of these cases, governments have actively collaborated with the People's Republic of China to return human rights defenders who were clearly fleeing persecution. The whereabouts of most of these individuals remain unknown to this day,” he said.

Isa further alleged that some Uyghurs detained outside China had been pressured to sign confessions before being deported.

“We have also documented that many of those detained abroad were forced to sign confessions and were then deported,” he said, adding that Uyghur refugees faced not only the challenge of seeking asylum but also what he described as transnational repression.

Urgent Concern for Uyghurs in Thailand

Raising a specific concern over Uyghurs currently detained in Thailand, Isa said they were at risk of deportation to China.

“There are currently Uyghur detainees who are at serious risk of deportation from Thailand to China. This is especially alarming after 40 Uyghurs were deported last year, and their whereabouts still remain unknown,” he said.

Appeal to Uphold International Law

Isa called on UN member states to comply with their obligations under the principle of non-refoulement, which generally prohibits states from returning individuals to a country where they face a serious risk of persecution or other grave harm.

“We ask member states to uphold their obligations under the non-refoulement principle,” Isa told the Council.

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