Thai officials who visited East Turkistan insisted on exonerating China.

Thai officials who visited East Turkistan insisted on exonerating China. Senior Thai government officials who visited East Turkistan to "visit" Uyghurs handed over to China and insisted on exonerating China.

According to the Bangkok Post, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phumtham Wichayachai, Justice Minister Thawee Sodsong, and several military officials made a three-day visit to East Turkistan on March 18 to monitor the conditions of the Uyghurs who were handed over to China last month. The visit by the Thai officials is believed to have been orchestrated to justify their own crimes, drawing criticism from some countries, including the United States and international organizations.

According to reports, Phumtham Wichayachai, speaking on the final day of his three-day visit, insisted that the families he met were voluntarily selected. During the visit, he insisted on exonerating China, rejecting international warnings that China was manipulating and deceiving the 40 Uyghurs who were repatriated.

Bomtam rejected claims that the Uyghurs' emotions during the visit were fake, saying, "They are not Hollywood actors crying on orders. Their eyes filled with tears when we arrived. Their emotions were normal when they were asked if they were happy."

He also described a moment when one of the forcibly returned Uyghurs firmly grasped his hand, saying, "This proved that their feelings were genuine." He added that he urges observers to pay attention not to the words used, but to the emotions expressed through expressions, gestures, and sounds.

China welcomed the Thai officials and deceived them with its usual elaborate spectacle, including a visit to the Id Kah Mosque in Kashgar, which had been banned for prayers and was open to tourists. The Thai delegation met with the imam of the Id Kah Mosque, who, as arranged by China, raved, "The repatriated Uyghurs are living safely and in good conditions in accordance with Chinese law."

The Bangkok Post, citing false Chinese propaganda, reported that most of the 40 Uyghurs who were repatriated have already returned to their homes across East Turkistan, and that previously ill Uyghurs are still receiving treatment in hospitals.

In a statement issued by Thai government spokesman Jiraew Khongsup, he stated that the Thai delegation was divided into two groups, accompanied by officials from the Chinese Ministry of National Security. One group visited a Uyghur living at his home about 200 kilometers from Kashgar, while the other group spoke via video link with a group of people living 500 kilometers from Urumqi and also met with so-called "clerics."

Chinese officials asked media outlets that visited the Uyghurs to blur the faces of Uyghurs in photos and videos to protect their privacy. However, it was claimed that no special restrictions were imposed on their activities. Chinese media did not disclose any details about the visit.

Journalists who visited the Uyghurs who had been repatriated to East Turkistan faced strict censorship from China. According to reports, a group of Thai journalists was invited by China on Tuesday to show that the 40 repatriated Uyghurs were living well. According to one journalist, Chinese officials closely monitored the Thai journalists during the visit, examining the photos they took and forcing them to delete any they did not approve of before sending them to Thailand.

After the Thai government forcibly returned 40 Uyghurs detained in Thailand to China on February 27, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio strongly condemned the action and, on March 14, announced a decision to impose visa restrictions on government officials responsible for the forced return of Uyghurs and other minorities to China, including Thailand.