Human rights advocates are demanding to know why the UN’s refugee agency hasn’t done more to secure the Uyghurs’ right to asylum.

Thai authorities have denied any immediate plan to send 48 Uyghur refugees back to China after UN experts urged a stop. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mostly Muslim minority in China.

The plight of 48 Uyghur detainees in Thailand has drawn international scrutiny as the group’s hunger strike protesting their possible return to China stretches into day 15 with the U.S. State Department, U.N. officials and activists voicing concern.

The experts’ statement comes less than a week after Republican Sen. Marco Rubio said he would lobby Thailand against deporting the 48 Uyghurs to China during a hearing on his nomination for the post of U.S. secretary of state, which he was confirmed for on Monday.

The UN experts also called on Thailand, which is a member of the UN Human Rights Council, to respect its obligations under international law. “The prohibition on refoulement prohibits the return ...

With Thailand set to become the biggest nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on Thursday, we look at the situation across the globe.

US President Donald Trump's incoming secretary of state is among those calling for Thailand not to deport a group Uyghurs to China, where it is feared they would face persecution.

BANGKOK: Thai authorities denied on Wednesday (Jan 22) there was an immediate plan to send back to China 48 Uyghurs held in the country's detention centres, after UN experts warned the group could face torture if they return.

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has called on Thailand to immediately stop the planned deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China, citing serious risks of torture and inhumane treatment.

The UN indicated Friday it was urging Thailand not to send dozens of detained Uyghurs to any country where they risk “significant” harm, after reported

The United Nations called on Thailand Wednesday to immediately halt the deportation of 48 Uyghurs to China, warning that the detainees face a real risk of torture, enforced disappearance and other