Thailand's government has repeatedly defended the secretive deportation, which came despite calls from United Nations human rights experts who said the Uyghurs would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment and "irreparable harm" if returned to China.

The secret deportation by Thailand of dozens of Uyghur men to China that has sparked international condemnation is a diplomatic win for Beijing and a snub to the United States and the United Nations,

Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources told Reuters, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where they were covertly deported last week.

High-profile incidents including the abduction of a Chinese actor threaten to tarnish Thailand’s image as a tourist hotspot.

The US condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Thailand's return of 40 Uygur men to China on Thursday and called for Beijing to provide regular access to verify their well-being. "As Thailand's long-standing ally,

The forced returns of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand back to China this week was nothing short of a PR disaster for Thailand. Criticisms and condemnations from western nations and even the UNHCR rained down

Human rights groups warned that the Uyghurs, who were held in Bangkok for more than a decade, will face mistreatment from Chinese authorities back in Xinjiang.

Australia "strongly disagrees" with Thailand's decision to transfer 40 Uyghurs to China against their will and has raised concerns about their treatment with the Chinese government, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.

China has assured Thailand that 40 Chinese Uyghurs it returned on Thursday would be looked after, Thailand's defence minister said, confirming a secretive pre-dawn deportation that the United Nations and human rights groups condemned.

BANGKOK: Thailand's deportation of 40 Uighurs to China last week was in the South-east Asian country's best interest due to the possibility of retaliation from Beijing if the group was sent elsewhere,

The secret deportation by Thailand of dozens of Uyghurs to China that has sparked international condemnation is a diplomatic win for Beijing and a snub to the United States and the United Nations ...