U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of state, is pledging to press Thailand to prevent the deportation of 48 Uyghurs held there since 2014 after fleeing alleged persecution in Xinjiang, in northwest China.

In this photo provided on condition of anonymity, Uyghur detainees who say they are facing deportation back to China, where they fear persecution and even death, sit in an immigration detention center in Bangkok, Thailand, in February 2024.

Thailand is a popular destination for Chinese tourists, the largest group of visitors to Thailand in 2024. Read more at straitstimes.com.

China’s offer to step up security cooperation underscores Beijing’s increasing concern over the growing threat posed by telecom fraud and human trafficking in Southeast Asia. It also suggests a new urgency from Beijing to bolster coordination with the 10-nation ASEAN grouping, which includes Myanmar and Thailand, to tackle cross-border crime.

Beijing says the Uyghurs are jihadists ... knowledge of the matter told the AP that all of the Uyghurs detained in Thailand submitted asylum applications to the United Nations High Commissioner ...

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on Southeast Asian countries on Thursday to take strong measures to crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, urging the "relevant" nations to shoulder their responsibilities.

In a heated Senate confirmation hearing for Pete Hegseth, Sen. Tammy Duckworth grilled the proposed defense secretary over the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, asking him if he could name one m

Beijing also said it would step up efforts with other countries’ law enforcement agencies. Read more at straitstimes.com.

OCSB secretary-general Bainoi Suwanchatree said officials do not expect the ban to have a serious impact on Thai sugar producers as they have an extensive customer base, exporting sugar to many countries worldwide. The Industry Ministry and Commerce Ministry as well as the Customs Department are holding discussions regarding the ban, he said.

The plea went viral after it was shared by some of China's biggest celebrities, including singer Lay Zhang and actor Qin Lan. Wang, 31, had the country's attention - as well as that of his government. On 7 January, Wang was rescued from a scam centre across the border, in Myanmar - news met with a wave of relief.

Hegseth responded at the heated Senate confirmation hearing that he couldn’t tell Duckworth the exact number of ASEAN nations, but that “I know we have allies in South Korea and Japan in AUKUS (a pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S.) with Australia.”

A group of 48 Uyghur men who have been held for over a decade in Thai immigration detention face risks of enforced disappearance, long-term imprisonment, torture, and other severe mistreatment if Thailand forcibly sends them to China,