Kannavee urges government not to return five Uyghurs to China

Former MP Kannavee Suebsang has called on the Thai government not to return the remaining five Uyghur detainees to China, citing letters from the detainees themselves. In a Facebook post on October 31, 2026, Kannavee published a statement titled "A Plea to Let the Uyghur Refugees Live," urging Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and the National Security Council to consider the detainees' wishes and the dangers they face if returned to China.

The content of the letters states that the Uyghurs do not want to return to China due to fear of persecution and danger to their lives. One letter from 2022 claims that if they return to China, they and their parents could face the death penalty, while their relatives might be arrested. Another letter from 2026 expresses willingness to remain in detention but does not want to return to China.

Kannavee argues that the government's claims of voluntary return and successful integration into Chinese society are questionable, as they only managed to stage a "morality play" with three refugees. Today, he presents another letter from the Uyghurs still detained in Thailand, emphasizing their fear and the government's obligation to listen to the refugees' voices.

China has already expressed its willingness to take back the five remaining Uyghurs, meeting with the Thai Foreign Ministry in late August. The Thai government has acknowledged that the decision rests with relevant authorities and that the individuals' wishes must also be considered, especially in humanitarian cases. Kannavee urges the Thai government to apply this principle and listen to the refugees' independent assessment of risks, without simply following the government's predetermined stance.