On February 27, 40 Chinese nationals who illegally entered Thailand have been repatriated to China. The repatriation is carried out in accordance with the laws of China and Thailand as well as international law and common practices. It is a step taken by the two sides to jointly combat human smuggling and other cross-border crimes. The lawful rights and interests of individuals concerned are fully protected.
Illegal migration and smuggling are internationally recognized crimes, which seriously disrupt the normal cross-border order. The Chinese government firmly opposes all forms of human smuggling. We will continue to fight crimes that involve obstructing national frontier and border administration in accordance with law, and hold those planning and organizing such activities accountable for legal responsibilities. Meanwhile, China will actively participate in global security governance and strengthen international law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries, in an effort to jointly address the challenge of cross-border crimes, guarantee the safe and orderly flow of Chinese and foreign nationals, and protect the lawful rights and interests of inbound and outbound travelers.
As for the remarks made by certain institution that you just mentioned, I would like to point out that China upholds the rule of law and has well-developed laws and regulations and working mechanisms in human rights protection in the judicial area. Its achievements are there for all to see. All Chinese, including the Uyghurs in Xinjiang, fully enjoy economic, social, and cultural, civil and political rights. Some political forces and institutions fabricate and spread Xinjiang-related lies for no other reason than destabilizing Xinjiang. We stand firmly against the attempts to use human rights as a pretext to interfere with China’s internal affairs and to use Xinjiang-related issues to disturb normal law enforcement cooperation between countries. Certain parties must stop concocting and spreading Xinjiang-related lies and absurd accusations.