‘Wholly Negligent’: Uyghur Asylum Seekers Keep Dying in Thailand’s Detention Centers

April 25, 2023 | VICE | By Caleb Quinley, Koh Ewe

The refugee, 40-year-old Mattohti Mattursun, died on Friday after being taken to hospital due to liver and respiratory problems, according to a Tuesday statement by the World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

About 50 Uyghur asylum seekers, including Mattohti, remain in Thai immigration detention—held almost completely without contact and access to lawyers or international aid organizations. The World Uyghur Congress and the Uyghur Human Rights Project said that the whereabouts of Mattohti’s family is unknown.

“How many more deaths will take place before Thai authorities act with humanity to release these innocent people who are merely seeking safe haven?” said Omer Kanat, the executive director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, an advocacy group based in Washington.

“Uyghurs around the world are filled with anguish that these refugees have been left in misery for nine years and the world has not lifted a finger to rescue them.”

Read the full article: https://www.vice.com/en/article/y3wd87/uyghur-asylum-seeker-dies-in-thai-detention