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Chinese nationals involved in illegal immigration who were repatriated from Thailand to China return to homes and reunite with their families on February 28, 2025. Photo: WeChat account of Chinese Embassy in Thailand

 Forty Chinese nationals involved in illegal immigration were repatriated from Thailand on Thursday. After completing the relevant law enforcement procedures, they have all returned to their homes on Friday, reuniting with their families after more than a decade apart. This should have been a joyous occasion. 

However, some Westerners have become agitated, even rushing to label it as a so-called "human rights" issue. The loudest voices come from Washington, which claims that the repatriated nationals are all Uygurs and distorted normal law enforcement cooperation into "forced" repatriation. 

They once again hyped lies about Xinjiang region and put on an act to condemn Thailand with "the strongest terms." This rhetoric is the same old tune that some Westerners had used to smear Xinjiang. They use fabricated "human rights" concerns to interfere in China's internal affairs while putting political pressure on Thailand, generating a distorted narrative in international discourse. 

The facts of the operation are clear and straightforward, yet certain key points are deliberately "overlooked" by some in the West. First, these repatriated Chinese nationals were deceived by criminal organizations and stranded in Thailand after illegally crossing the border. Their actions violated the law. Second, they had been detained in Thailand for more than a decade, and both they and their families had suffered greatly. Third, the relatives of these repatriated Chinese national had repeatedly appealed to the Chinese government for assistance. Fourth, their legal rights were fully protected, including the provision of medical care to a person suffering from a serious illness. Fifth, the repatriation was carried out in accordance with the principles of mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Thailand. 

It is evident that the repatriation operation was in full compliance with legal standards, international practices, and ethical principles.

Regarding this repatriation, the Thai government has made it clear that repatriation of foreign nationals is Thailand's sovereign right and is carried out for national interest. As is widely known, illegal immigration and human smuggling are internationally recognized criminal offenses that severely disrupt the normal order of entry and exit. Cross-border crime has been rampant in Southeast Asia, and regional countries have suffered significantly from it. Crimes such as telecom fraud, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and money laundering are closely tied to illegal immigration. Therefore, this repatriation is also a firm defense of regional rule of law by both China and Thailand as signatories to the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. 

In recent years, the police of China and Thailand have jointly cracked down on crimes like human trafficking and telecom fraud, successfully solving major cases, and have established many cooperative mechanisms, becoming a bright spot in regional law enforcement cooperation. These results are recognized by neighboring countries.

The human rights situation in Xinjiang region speaks for itself, and the facts are clear for all to see. At the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva last September, Cuba, representing around 80 countries, including many Muslim-majority nations, delivered a joint statement in strong support of China. 

Additionally, more than 20 other countries expressed their stance in various ways, endorsing China's just position and explicitly opposing the politicization of human rights issues as well as using human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. 

This clearly demonstrates the broader sentiment of the international community. It is no secret that certain political forces and institutions have been fabricating and spreading lies about Xinjiang with the intention of destabilizing the region - this time is no exception.

Some Western forces, led by the US, have concocted a narrative claiming that "China coerced Thailand into handing over 'refugees' and subjected them to inhumane treatment." Ironically, this story seems to be taken straight from America's own historical playbook. If any country should be investigated for human rights violations against refugees, it is the US. 

The US has established the world's largest immigration detention system. To cut costs, it often contracts the construction and operation of immigration detention facilities to private companies, creating de facto private prisons. In fiscal year 2020, 21 people died in US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and numerous children were reported to be held in overcrowded and deplorable conditions resembling "livestock pens." Some American media outlets have claimed that Thailand is "catering to" Beijing and that this represents a "major victory for China" - an assertion that clearly reflects the US' longstanding bullying mentality toward its neighbors.

When China and Thailand conducted repatriation operation in accordance with the law, certain people in the US immediately decried it as a "human rights crisis." Yet when the US itself used tear gas to drive away illegal migrants, shackles deportees with handcuffs, leg irons, and even waist chains, the same people were conspicuously silent. This exposes their blatant double standards and hypocrisy. 

The open and transparent principles demonstrated by China and Thailand in their law enforcement cooperation, including humanitarian measures such as liaising with the families of those affected, stand in stark contrast to the US' harsh tactics, such as mass detentions and deportation of migrants. Imagine if a group of Mexicans, deluded by drug cartels, entered the US, forcing American immigration authorities to bear the burden of looking after them for over a decade - how would Washington respond?

Under the framework of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, cross-border cooperation between China and Thailand will continue to deepen, yielding even greater results. These efforts will not be swayed by a few irresponsible remarks, nor will they be dictated by Washington's preferences. 

On the contrary, instead of focusing on how to "throw dirt on other people," it would be better for the US to make some efforts to address the failures in its own domestic social governance.