U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday announced sanctions against officials from Thailand, a U.S. ally, for their role in deporting at least 40 Uyghurs to China, where Washington says the members of the Muslim group will face persecution.

Human rights advocates say at least some of the eight ethnic minority Uyghurs who remain in Thailand’s custody since authorities deported 40 others to China last month are at risk of the same fate.

Thailand defended its deportation of 40 Uyghur detainees to China last week as the “best solution” to avoid a backlash from Beijing, after a rights group said the move violated international law and the returnees could face torture.

The State Department says the United States and other countries made repeated offers to Thailand to resettle more than three dozen Uyghur men before they were deported back to China, where rights grou

Thai minister claims the possibility of retaliation from Beijing if the Uyghur refugees are sent to another country.

Resettling the Uighurs would not shield Thailand from a potential fallout with China, the minister said. Read more at straitstimes.com.