A UN agency on Wednesday protested against the decision of Thailand to deport two registered refugees to China, claiming they should not have sent them back to a country where their lives are not secure.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the two individuals were in possession of a protection letter from UN. The two registered refugees were reportedly waiting to go to Canada after they being accepted as refugees at the time they got arrested by Thai authorities.

Like Us on Facebook

The regional spokeswoman for UNHCR Vivian Tan claims that the individuals were recognized refugees. They had reportedly been questioned and their claim of persecution was found to be legitimate. To her, they should not have been sent back to a place where their lives could be in danger.

According to Bangkok Post, the refugee agency neither named the activists nor gave out their nationalities, but an official gave details of their case at an Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok.

An official, who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, told Reuters that Jiang Yefei and Dong Guangping got arrested on Oct 28 following a request from China.

Hong Lei of Chinese Foreign Ministry said the issue was being dealt with in line with the law although he did not elaborate.

In Bangkok, where the Canadian embassy is located, there was no any immediate response to a Reuters request for comment.

Thailand has no particular law on refugees and has not signed a 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

Human Right Researcher Sunai Phasuk said that Thailand is upholding its bad record held pertaining to refugees by sending the two back to China where they could face torture.

Thailand attracted condemnation from the US and other nations after it deported around 100 Uighur Muslims back to China in July. The Uighurs are a Turkic-language speaking group native to China's western Xinjiang region.

According to Thai immigration officials, the two deported men were not Uighurs.

Jiang and Dong are said to have been taken from their Bangkok residences and placed into custody on Oct 28 by the Thai immigration officials, News United reported.

They were held under police watch at Mr Jiang's home until they were taken to the airport for deportation to China.

Pro-dissident online group Front Line Defenders based in Ireland said Dong and his family arrived in Thailand late in September for application of asylum with the UNHCR in Bangkok. While the case of the family was being considered, the family had received UNHCR letters of protection.

The group believes that their arrest of the two results from their legitimate and peaceful activities in China for the defence of human rights.

TagsThailand blasted, Canada-bound refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees agency, Jiang Yefei, Dong Guangping, Bangkok, Sunai Phasuk, Thailand blast, Canada Refugees