Thai consulate in Turkey attacked following deportation of Uighurs

ISTANBUL, Turkey, July 9 (UPI) — Reports surfaced Thursday of an attack on the Thai consulate in Istanbul, Turkey following the deportation of 100 Uighurs from Thailand to China.

Nine protesters identifying themselves as the East Turkestan Education Association stormed the offices late on Wednesday night but did not injure anyone. They damaged the doors to the building, pulled down the consulate sign outside and damaged the interior furniture. The Thai flag was also removed as the building was ransacked, with stones being lodged at the exterior and files being littered on the street.

Security at the consulate was enhanced Thursday morning.

Through Facebook, The Royal Thai Embassy also urged local Thais to refrain from displays of nationality and avoid arguments with Turks on the subject of Uighurs.

On Thursday, Thailand confirmed and stood by its decision to deport the 100 individuals, claiming that it followed appropriate humanitarian procedures despite the disapproval of rights groups.

The Uighurs had presented themselves as Turkish upon entering Thailand. However, their Chinese nationality was confirmed, which formed the basis for Turkey’s choice to deport them.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) says the Uighurs will probably face persecution, abuse and human rights violations in China. HRW has been critical of Thailand and Cambodia in the past for sending Uighurs to China given the way they are treated there.

The deportation led to a meeting between Turkish and Chinese officials on whether China imposed restrictions on Uighurs during Ramadan. Beijing claimed there were none, but protests still sparked over the debate and sullied the otherwise improving relationship between China and Turkey.

The indigenous Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims that make up almost half of China’s Xinjiang population. They used to be the majority, but ever since China abolished East Turkestan in 1949, the Uighurs have feared an erosion of their culture as droves of Han Chinese continue to immigrate. Forty percent of Xinjiang is now Chinese, which the Uighurs feel threatens their Islam-based lifestyle.