US hits Thai officials with visa sanctions over deportation of Uyghurs to China

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday announced sanctions against officials from Thailand, a U.S. ally, for their role in deporting at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where Washington says the members of the Muslim group will face persecution.

The U.S. is "committed to combating China's efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they are subject to torture and enforced disappearances," the State Department said in a statement.

The move appeared intended to discourage Thailand and other countries from such deportations.

Thailand's February deportation of the Uyghurs, held in detention for a decade, came despite warnings from United Nations human rights experts that they were at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned.

Reuters reported earlier this month that Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs, but Bangkok feared upsetting China.

"I am immediately implementing this policy by taking steps to impose visa restrictions on current and former officials for the Government of Thailand responsible for, or complicit in, the forced return of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand on February 27," Rubio said.

The statement did not include names of individuals to be sanctioned.

"In light of China's longstanding acts of genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Uyghurs, we call on governments around the world not to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China," Rubio said.

The restrictions could extend to family members of people sanctioned, the statement added.

Thailand has defended the deportations, saying that it acted in accordance with laws and human rights obligations.

China denies allegations of abuse and forced labor toward Uyghurs, arguing it had established "vocational training centers" in recent years to curb terrorism, separatism and religious radicalism.

Rubio, who was a staunch advocate for Uyghurs when he served as a U.S. senator, has reiterated that Beijing's treatment of the group had amounted to "genocide and crimes against humanity," a designation the U.S. first made in the waning hours of President Donald Trump's first term in 2021.

(Reporting by Michael Martina; Editing by Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis)