Why China is Pursuing Uyghurs Beyond its Borders

Rukiye Turdush. Center for East Turkistan National Interest 

Usman A Khan. Independent Journalist

Right after the United States worked on a ceasefire in Gaza, President Donald Trump came up with a widely denounced plan of building a riviera in Gaza, whereby the Palestinians in the enclave would have to leave so that investors could contribute to its reconstruction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu backed the idea, viewing it as a positive step to occupy Gaza. However, Palestinians resolutely chose to stand their ground, refusing to abandon their homeland, even after relentless Israeli airstrikes killed upwards of 50,000. In the middle of March, Israel violated that ceasefire and continued its scorched earth tactics, killing nearly 700 in 72 hours. Unlike the Palestinians, who fight to remain on their land, Uyghurs in East Turkistan desperately seek to escape persecution. However, they remain trapped in the region, with the Chinese government hunting down those who managed to escape, forcibly repatriating them.

The key difference is that Palestinians still have their land in Gaza, whereas Uyghurs do not. Their homeland, East Turkistan, has been fully occupied by China. With no possibility to defend homeland, Uyghurs only have their lives to protect, which explains their desperation to flee. Israel’s main objective may be territorial control, but China’s ambitions go beyond that. Having already seized the Uyghur land, China now seeks to eradicate the Uyghur population through forced assimilation, sterilization of their women, and breaking the Uyghur family structure. This is what constitutes genocide—the systematic destruction of an entire people, and hunting Uyghurs overseas is part of this agenda. Tragically, this has turned Uyghur refugees into nothing more than a bargaining chip for other countries to bolster their ties with China.

The recent deportation of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand in February 2025 is one such example.  However, that this is not the first time China has resorted to such tactics. In 2014, over 300 Uyghurs who fled China were detained by the Thai police. In 2015, Türkiye offered a settlement for these Uyghurs, but Thailand only released 170 of them, mostly women and children. As many as 109 of them were deported to China, despite the imminent risk of torture and worse. The latest deportation of 40 Uyghurs comes from the remaining 70 from 2015. The Thai government relies on tourism revenue from China. Bangkok has used Uyghur refugees as leverage to ensure economic benefits just like many other smaller nations under China’s patronage. According to the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP), between 2017 and 2021, at least 695 Uyghurs have been detained or deported to China from 15 separate countries. For example, more than 200 Uyghur students detained in Egypt in early 2017 were deported to China. These students forcibly disappeared into the so-called re-education centers or forced labor camps, with many of them dying under such horrific conditions.

One may ask, if China strictly controls all aspects of Uyghur’s lives, how did they manage to escape? To answer this question, one must understand the historical context and China’s oppressive colonial policy in the region. China systematically oppressed Uyghurs, labeling them as “feudal elements,” “landowners,” “ethnic nationalists,” and “rich people” in the 1950s and 60s. Later, in the 70s and 80s, they were detained after being marked as “counter-revolutionaries”. Just as now, many of them were tortured and executed. This trend continued, and in the 90s, the labels of “separatists”, “religious extremists”, and “terrorists” were slapped onto them. For Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims, life under Chinese colonial rule ever since Communist forces invaded East Turkistan in 1949, has been marked by extreme hardship and oppression. Yet escaping as a refugee has proven incredibly difficult. The Chinese government has carefully concealed its colonial crimes, implementing strict control of Uyghurs escape to suppress evidence of its repression, while simultaneously expanding its soft power on the global stage. Following the 9/11 attacks and the Global War on Terror in 2001, China took advantage of the moment by branding Uyghurs as terrorists. It launched its “Strike Hard” campaign, conducting mass home searches and arbitrarily detaining thousands of Uyghurs. This was merely the beginning of what would escalate into a large-scale crackdown. By 2017, millions of Uyghurs were forcibly detained in the so-called “re-education camps,” which the international community has widely recognized as concentration camps. Faced with escalating persecution, many Uyghurs sought to flee, often crossing borders illegally since obtaining a passport from the Chinese government was nearly impossible. However, Beijing turned a blind eye to some Uyghurs escaping. The Chinese authorities knew that without proper travel documents, Uyghurs had very few places to go. At the time, Afghanistan did not require visas, and human smugglers sometimes funneled Uyghurs toward extremist groups like ISIS. This played directly into China’s hands—allowing it to justify its sweeping repression by falsely associating the entire Uyghur population with terrorism.

However, China’s calculation did not fully succeed. Even though a small number of Uyghurs did escape to Afghanistan or join extremist groups, most sought refuge in Türkiye and many later continued their journey towards Europe. Several hundred of them traveled to Syrian war zones and established East Turkistan Islamic Party against China. Based on firsthand accounts from many Uyghur refugees, most had no idea they would end up involved with any extreme organizations after fleeing. They didn’t know where they would go or how human smugglers might exploit them. The majority were innocent farmers with little understanding of life beyond their villages. Their only desire was to live a normal life, dream to gain freedom from China oppression for their nation. Despite this, China used the actions of a fraction of Uyghur refugees as a pretext to intensify its crackdown. By 2017, between one and three million Uyghurs were imprisoned in mass internment camps.

Since 2023, although, under the pressure of international community, Chinese officials announced that re-education camps were closed, they did not completely release the people from the camps.  Many of these “re-education” camps have been converted into forced labor camps, while detainees have either been transferred to prisons or forced into labor under inhumane conditions. The ongoing persecution of Uyghurs is not just a human rights crisis—it is a deliberate and systematic effort to erase an entire people under the guise of counterterrorism. Even with no activism against China, their identity is enough to become a target for persecution.

The public statements of the Chinese embassy officials in Thailand, published after the deportation of 40 Uyghurs, clearly demonstrate this intent. They said, “These people will be returned to normal life as soon as they complete relevant legal procedures”. Essentially every Uyghur understands what it means, implying that they will stay in detention centers in China for re-education and punishment. If they managed to survive—a big ask—they would then be introduced back to society. Interestingly, out of 40 men, China picked just one for propaganda, staging footage of his airport arrival. Soon after, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai was invited to China. In Kashgar, he met two of the 40 Uyghur men, with the Thai media releasing a YouTube video of his visit afterwards. The two men shared “how safe and happy they felt” after returning and reuniting with their families. Xinjiang Party Chief Ma Xingrui also told Chinese state media that “all ethnic groups in Xinjiang enjoy their economic, political, and cultural rights.” He further accused the U.S. and other Western countries of fabricating lies, such as the allegations of “genocide” and “forced labor.” It’s quite clear that China wants to signal to Uyghurs that there is no escape, while also asserting to the international community that no one can challenge its will on the issue. Any criticism of its repressive and draconian policies is swiftly brushed away by Beijing as “lies” and “anti-China” rhetoric. 

Despite Bangkok’s decent ties with Washington, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio putting pressure on Thailand to prevent the deportation, Thailand baked with China’s wishes. Equally concerning are reports of the appointment of pro-China Darren Beattie (who repeatedly denied China’s genocide of Uyghurs) as the top official at the State Department; it’s a mistake that could weaken years of strong U.S. diplomacy on Uyghur issues. Following the enforced repatriation of these Uyghurs, Rubio announced that he would impose visa restrictions on current and former officials in Thailand responsible for or complicit in the deportations of these 40 Uyghurs. This move does nothing to save the lives of those 40 Uyghurs already deported. However, it shows there is a consequence to play with Washington and may discourage officials in other countries from not following in Bangkok’s footsteps.

According to Reuters, Canada and the United States, offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, but Bangkok refused for fear of upsetting China. They also did not allow UNHCR officials access to these detainees. Later, the Thai deputy prime minister also told Reuters that no country made any concrete offer to resettle the 48 Uyghurs.

Ultimately, efforts by the United States and Canada to raise the issue of these 48 Uyghurs with the Thai government failed to bear any fruit, with Beijing’s will prevailing in the end. This outcome underscores a harsh reality: atrocity is winning over human rights.  Moreover, with Washington’s continued support for Israel—resulting in the deaths of thousands of innocent Palestinian civilians—how can the U.S. credibly position themselves as defenders of human rights elsewhere.

Nonetheless, both the U.S. and Canada published strong statements widely slamming Thailand’s deportation of Uyghurs. History will not forget all those who cared for the plight of the Uyghurs and even those who betrayed Uyghurs in return for Chinese investment. Still, there are eight Uyghur refugees remaining in Thailand and several others in various small countries. Besides just the Western world, the Global South must also wake up from its slumber, putting necessary pressure on Beijing to not let it get away with its mass persecution of Uyghurs, both at home and abroad.   

Rukiye Turdush is a writer and researcher, specializing in East Turkistanian people’s geopolitical issues under Chinese colonization. Her work focuses on the complexities of East Turkistan’s political landscape and its evolving international relations.

Usman A Khan is a journalist, who writes about the Middle East and China together with the emerging trends and geopolitical realities of the region