Dolkun Isa Urges UN to Stop Uyghur Forced Returns

During the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Dolkun Isa, President of the Uyghur Centre for Democracy, called on member states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement. He warned that Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers face severe human rights violations if forcibly returned to China.

Isa reported that the Uyghur Centre for Democracy has documented more than 400 cases of refoulement over the last two decades. He specifically named Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan, and various Central Asian countries as locations where these returns occurred. He alleged that some governments actively collaborated with the People's Republic of China to return human rights defenders, noting that some detainees were forced to sign confessions before their deportation.

Particular concern was raised regarding Uyghurs detained in Thailand. Isa noted that 40 individuals were deported from Thailand last year, and their current whereabouts remain unknown.