On Thursday 13 March, MEPs voted 482 in favour, 57 against and 68 abstentions in favour of a European Parliament resolution on violations of democratic principles and human rights in Thailand, in particular the lèse-majesté law and the expulsion of Uighur refugees.
In this resolution, Parliament condemns the deportation of Uighur refugees to China (see EUROPE 13590/20) and calls on Thailand “to immediately halt any further forced returns of refugees, asylum seekers and political dissidents to countries where their lives are at risk”.
MEPs are also calling on the Thai government to grant the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) unrestricted access to all detained Uighur asylum seekers and say that extradition treaties with China should be suspended.
They also call on the European Commission to take advantage of the FTA negotiations to put pressure on Thailand not only to stop deporting Uighur refugees, but also to reform the lèse-majesté law, release political prisoners and ratify all the fundamental conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
To see the resolution: https://aeur.eu/f/fx9 (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)