Washington, Feb. 27 -- The United States on Thursday condemned the Thai government for forcibly returning 40 Uyghur refugees to China. Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged that the Uyghurs be "treated with dignity" and that their rights be protected.

In a post on X, Rubio wrote: "Thailand forcibly returned a group of Uyghurs to China. As a longstanding ally of Thailand, we are alarmed by this action, which runs afoul of its international obligations."

"The US condemns this action. We urge the Thai government to ensure and verify that the Uyghurs are treated with dignity and that their rights are protected," he added.

The East Turkistan Government in Exile (ETGE) unequivocally condemned the Thai government for its shameful complicity in...