U.S. has enacted visa restrictions on Thai officials due to the deportation of Uyghurs to China

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against officials from Thailand, a U.S. ally, due to their involvement in the deportation of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where the U.S. asserts that these individuals will face persecution. The State Department emphasized that the U.S. is “dedicated to countering China’s attempts to coerce governments into forcibly returning Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they risk torture and enforced disappearances.”

This action seems aimed at deterring Thailand and other nations from engaging in similar deportations. Although the U.S. has previously imposed sanctions on Thailand, including the suspension of military aid following military coups, and has targeted Thai individuals and companies for violating sanctions related to third countries, a prominent Southeast Asia expert noted that he could not recall sanctions being placed on Thai government officials, who were not identified in Rubio’s announcement.

Thailand’s decision to deport the Uyghurs, who had been detained for a decade, occurred despite warnings from United Nations human rights experts about the potential for torture, mistreatment, and “irreparable harm” if they were sent back.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that Canada and the United States had offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs, but Bangkok was concerned about straining relations with China. Rubio stated, “I am immediately implementing this policy by taking steps to impose visa restrictions on current and former officials of the Government of Thailand who are responsible for, or complicit in, the forced return of 40 Uyghurs from Thailand on February 27.” He further urged global governments to refrain from forcibly returning Uyghurs and other groups to China, citing China’s ongoing acts of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs.

The statement indicated that the restrictions may also apply to the family members of those who have been sanctioned. Thailand has justified its deportation actions, asserting that they were carried out in compliance with legal and human rights standards. The Thai embassy in Washington did not provide an immediate response to a request for comment regarding Rubio’s announcement.

Murray Hiebert, a prominent expert on the region from the Southeast Asia program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, noted that he could not recall any previous U.S. sanctions targeting Thai government officials. He mentioned that Thailand tends to be quite sensitive to criticism, but its response might be moderated by U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs against nations with significant trade surpluses with the United States.

“They may prefer to remain under the radar,” he stated. “They already face scrutiny due to having the 11th largest trade surplus with the U.S. … it remains uncertain whether Thailand will escape repercussions when Trump enacts reciprocal tariffs in early April.”

Analysts suggest that Washington has refrained from implementing stricter sanctions against Thailand in the past, fearing that such actions could drive its long-standing ally closer to China. The Campaign for Uyghurs, an advocacy group based in Washington, praised Rubio’s actions and the Trump administration, stating that it “delivers a powerful message that those who facilitate the human rights violations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will be held accountable for their actions.”

Rubio, a strong supporter of Uyghurs during his tenure as a U.S. senator, has reiterated that Beijing’s treatment of the group constitutes “genocide and crimes against humanity,” a classification first made by the U.S. in the final hours of President Donald Trump’s administration in 2021. China has denied the allegations of abuse and forced labor against Uyghurs, claiming that it has established “vocational training centers” in recent years to combat terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism.