For the past six years, Masiyah has prepared meals for Uyghur refugees detained at an immigration detention facility in rural Thailand. She later fell in love with one of the refugees and became like family to the rest of the detainees. Amid growing international concern for the safety of 40 Uyghur refugees deported to China by the Thai government on 27 February 2025, Masiyah tells Prachatai of the abuse inside the detention centre in Mukdahan and said that she does not believe the refugees would voluntarily return to China.

Ministers have confirmed the deportation of 40 Uyghur refugees, claiming that they agreed to return to China, and that no third country had offered to take them. Meanwhile, letters written by the Uyghurs have been revealed, showing their desire not to return to China.

Police chief Pol Gen Kitrat Panphet confirmed today (27 February) that the Thai authorities have returned 40 Uyghur refugees held in the Immigration Detention Centre to China on a request from the Chinese government. Meanwhile, several human rights organizations condemned the deportation as a violation of Thailand's international obligations as the refugees are at risk of human rights abuses if returned to China. Some also said that the forced return undermine Thailand's credibility as a member of the UN Human Rights Council.

Amidst concerns that the Thai authorities are preparing to deport 48 Uyghur refugees detained at Bangkok's Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre back to China, at least three groups of detainees were moved in the middle of the night on Wednesday (26 February) and early Thursday morning (27 February). The second and third groups were moved in trucks with blacked-out windows, while police officers asked reporters not to take pictures.

A new report by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the Union for Civil Liberty (UCL) provides a glimpse into conditions in Thailand’s immigration detention centers (IDCs), which are among the country’s most secretive places of detention. The FIDH-UCL report also analyzes Thailand’s failure to establish a legal framework and policies on immigration detention that comply with international human rights law and standards.