Forty Uyghurs Deported to China
At least 40 Uyghurs have been deported to China from Thailand, following a battle over their right not to be sent back.
The men were held in a Thai immigration detention center from 2014, when they attempted to flee China via Thailand. Originally a part of a larger group of 350 people, they were being held as illegal immigrants, rather than refugees. Of the others initially detained, 172 women and children were sent on to Turkey, while 109 people were sent back to China.
Now, eight Uyghurs from the original 350 are known to have stayed back in Thailand, including five serving jail terms for crimes committed in detention.
China’s foreign ministry said: “The repatriation was carried out in accordance with the laws of China and Thailand, international law and international practice.”
The U.S. has sanctioned an unspecified number of Thai officials for their role in the deportation. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “We are committed to combating China’s efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they are subject to torture and enforced disappearances.”
Acid Spill at Zambian River
An acid spill at a Chinese-owned mine in Zambia contaminated a major river on February 18. Now authorities say the spill could affect millions of people because pollution was detected at least 100 kilometers downstream. Engineering Institution of Zambia investigators said the collapse of a copper mine dam allowed 50 million liters of waste containing concentrated acid, dissolved solids and heavy metals to flow into a stream that then connects to the Kafue River, known as Zambia’s most important waterway.
Indonesian Influencer Tours
Indonesian influences with a combined total of over one million followers were invited to tour the municipality of Chongqing last month, in a move China Media Project said was part of a wider campaign to ”reassure Indonesian audiences, particularly its large Muslim population, that reports of human rights abuses in Xinjiang are exaggerated or misleading.”
Tibetan Climate Justice
Tibet groups have urged U.K. Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband to press Chinese officials on climate justice for Tibet ahead of his visit to China this week.
A joint letter from a number of groups, including Free Tibet, said that existing warming in Tibet’s glacial region was being “exacerbated by ecologically disastrous megadevelopment projects, imposed by the Chinese government without consultation or consent, and the repression of traditional Tibetan nomadic ways of life and the ecological stewardship knowledge that holds.”
In late December, China approved the construction of what will become the world’s largest dam in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. It has been subject to major criticism, on both environmental and human rights grounds.
Among a number of concrete demands, the joint letter to Miliband called on the U.K. government to “Reject any cooperation or partnerships involving China Huadian or other companies involved in megadevelopment projects in occupied Tibet.”
Voice of America and Radio Free Asia Funding Cut
U.S.-funded media organization Radio Free Asia (RFA), which covers rights issues across Asia, has had its funding cut off as part of the Trump Administration’s ongoing efforts to cut back on state spending abroad. A presidential order targeted funding for RFA’s parent company, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM).
In a statement saying the organization would challenge the cut, Radio Free Asia President Bay Fang said: “The termination of RFA’s grant is a reward to dictators and despots, including the Chinese Communist Party, who would like nothing better than to have their influence go unchecked in the information space.”
As of Friday, March 14, most of RFA’s 300 U.S.-based employees were set to be furloughed. Its overseas operations would not be directly affected.
Voice of America (VOA), another overseas U.S. media organization aimed at international audiences, also had its funding cut off. As did Radio Free Europe. Mike Abramowitz, VOA’s director, said he and almost his entire staff of 1,300 people had been put on paid leave.
Support for Georgia’s Government
Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, which has been connected to illegal detentions and violent crackdowns on peaceful protesters, has received increasing backing from Beijing in recent months. Alongside a number of high-profile diplomatic visits, China’s government is pushing forward with the Georgia-China Regional Cooperation Association, “a dynamic platform that strengthens business ties between Georgia and China, fosters the development of innovative projects, and helps explore new market opportunities.”
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