Thailand Requires China Extradition Request for Two Uyghurs

Thailand says China must submit a formal extradition request for two Uyghur men recently transferred to immigration detention after their release from prison, and that a court will decide their cases. The men, detained in Thailand for more than a decade, have said they fear being returned to China; Amnesty International warns they could face torture, arbitrary detention or enforced disappearance and urges Thailand to let them consult lawyers and find a safe, voluntary third-country solution. The dispute has heightened concern following Thailand’s deportation of 40 Uyghur men to China last year, which drew international criticism. The two men are among five Uyghurs still held in Thailand from a group detained after fleeing China’s Xinjiang region in 2014.