What changed

B100176/2025

B100193/2025

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on democracy and humanHuman rightsRights in Thailand, notably the cases of the lese-majesty law and the deportation of Uyghur refugees.refugees

(2025/2594(RSP))

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Thailand,

– having regard to its previousRule resolutions150(5) relatedof toits UyghursRules inof China,Procedure,

– having regard to Rule 150 of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas the Government of Thailand has recently deported forty Uyghur refugees to the People`s Republic of China (PRC), while five others continue to remain in Thai custody;

A. whereas on 27 February 2025 at least 40 Uyghurs were deported to China, as confirmed by the Thai authorities, despite offers from Canada and the US to resettle them;

whereas prior to their deportation the aforementioned individuals had been imprisoned in Thailand for eleven years in precarious conditions;

B. whereas this group was among 300 Uyghurs detained at the Thai border in 2014 after fleeing repression in Xinjiang, many of whom were sent to Turkey while others were deported back to China;

whereas credible reports by UN human rights experts have assessed that these individuals -if returned to the PRC- will most likely face torture, ill-treatment and “irreparable harm”;

C. whereas human rights groups accuse China of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, as stated in many European Parliament resolutions, more recently the resolution on the cases of unjustly imprisoned Uyghurs in China, notably Ilham Tohti and Gulshan Abbas;

whereas under Article 112 of Thailand`s criminal code any criticism of the Monarchy qualifies as lèse-majesté, thus constituting a criminal offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison; whereas the respective provisions remain vague granting Thai authorities wide discretion;

D. whereas the situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, where more than 10 million Uyghurs and ethnic Kazakhs live, has rapidly deteriorated in the last few years, given Xinjiang's strategic location as a core region for the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with ambitious future production targets for textiles and other labour-intensive manufacturing products;

whereas since 2020, 278 individuals have been charged on the basis of Article 112, notably prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa and pro-democracy activist Mongkhon Thirakhot;

E. whereas many people have been harmed by lese-majesty law; even though it has been in force since 1908;

whereas the Indo-Pacific region is home to increasingly important political, trade and security partners for the EU; whereas a free, connected and stable Indo-Pacific region based on rules and respect for international law constitutes an essential cornerstone in the EU`s approach to the region;

F. whereas Article 112 of the Thai Penal Code punishes with three to 15 years imprisonment those found guilty of defaming, insulting, or threatening the King, the Queen, the Heir to the throne, or the Regent.

Strongly condemns the unlawful deportation of forty Uyghur refugees to the PRC;

1. Condemn Thailand's forcible return of at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where they have been denied due process rights and have faced persecution, forced labour and torture; we are alarmed by this action, which risks violating Thailand's international obligations under the UN Convention against Torture and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.;

Expresses deep concern for the safety and well-being of the deported Uyghur refugees and calls on the PRC to guarantee their fundamental rights;

2. Expresses deep concern over reports of the possible use of Uyghur forced labour drawn from internment camps in the supply chain of international companies doing business in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and over reports of collaboration with the Chinese institutions involved in the mass surveillance or detention;

Regrets the Government of Thailand`s refusal to accept any of the asylum offers made by several countries, including the United States, Australia and Canada;

3. Note with concern about reported Chinese secret police activities overseas and efforts to interfere with national sovereignty;

Urges the Government of Thailand to uphold the principle of non-refoulement under international human rights, refugee, humanitarian and customary law;

4. Express concern that the lese-majesty law restricts freedom of speech, a fundamental pillar of a free society, which is also under pressure in European society;

Calls for the immediate end of all unlawful deportations from Thailand;

7. Calls for the EU and its Member States, as key development partners, to raise individual cases, human rights concerns by these laws with the Thai and Chinese authorities;

Urges the PRC government to uphold its commitments and obligations under national and international law and grant the forty individuals fair and humane treatment;

8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Thai and Chinese authorities and international institutions.

Stresses the importance for Thailand to pursue a democratic path and strengthen its institutions in line with democratic principles, the rule of law and individual freedom;

Calls on the Government of Thailand to lift all restrictions on the opposition and the media and to refrain from resorting to repressive tactics as arbitrary arrests, intimidation, lèse-majesté charges, and harassment;

Stresses that Thailand continues to be a key actor in the Indo-Pacific region and a crucial interlocutor for the EU, as stressed during the recent visit by the European Parliament`s Delegation for relations with the countries of Southeast Asia and ASEAN to Thailand;

Underscores the importance of close EU-Thailand cooperation across multiple fields, including security and trade;

Reiterates the critical role parliamentary diplomacy shall play in broadening and consolidating EU-Thailand relations;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the VP/HR, the Council, the Commission, the Member States, the United Nations Secretary General, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, and the Government and Parliament of Thailand.