For six years, Masiyah (pseudonym) prepared meals for Uyghur refugees detained at an immigration detention facility in rural Thailand. Having previously cooked for Rohingya refugees, she initially knew little about the Uyghurs and harboured fears rooted in stereotypes.

Delivering three meals a day, including special dishes during Ramadan, gradually fostered a bond between her and the detainees. In 2020, Masiyah entered into a romantic relationship with Polat (pseudonym), one of the Uyghur refugees. She became like family to the detainees and eventually converted to Islam as her connection deepened.

Masiyah shared her experiences with Prachatai, shedding light on the living conditions inside the detention facility. Her account emerges amid growing international concern for the safety of 40 Uyghur refugees deported to China by the Thai government on 27 February 2025, a move that the Thai authorities claimed was 'voluntary'.

From Meals to Love

When the conversation turned to food and her relationship with Polat, Masiyah’s eyes lit up, and her voice grew noticeably brighter. She explained that the Uyghurs adhere to dietary rules more strictly than the Rohingya refugees she had previously served.

“The Rohingya would eat spicy food and accept eating meat that I prepared, such as beef and chicken, and they wouldn’t be particularly strict,” she said. “But they [the Uyghurs] were very concerned about halal. They did not accept chicken from me for about three years because they weren’t sure. I wasn’t Muslim then.

"In the beginning, the Uyghurs only ate mackerel and eggs. I once told them that If you eat meat, you will be healthy.' They said it was okay, now they’re healthy. If they die having eaten halal food, they will be pure."

When Masiyah first began delivering meals, the Uyghurs were cautious, uncertain of her intentions. Due to Islamic customs limiting direct interaction between men and women, they chose Polat as their representative to speak with her.

"We talked often because this man [Polat] was the person trusted by his friends. Suppose that today I give you this to eat, he would turn to talk with friends, and they would agree."

The Uyghurs require halal food that is neither spicy nor contains MSG. They avoid vegetables like Thai eggplant and squash but favour carrots, potatoes, and macaroni. The dishes she prepared for them included stir-fried broccoli, stir-fried Chinese cabbage with tofu or eggs, and massaman curry—a Thai dish that meets halal standards.

As their relationship deepened, Masiyah took on the role of mediator, assisting detainees in contacting their families and obtaining medication when they fell ill. While trust grew through shared meals and support, she believed it was her honesty that truly strengthened their bond.

"Because I’m someone who has never lied to them. The Uyghurs are people who ... if anyone lies to them once, will never trust them again.

"But for me ... when they ask me for something, if I can provide it, I tell them that I can give it to them and ask them to wait a bit. I give it to them in the form of food. They trust me because I make three meals every day—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And during Ramadan, I also deliver food to them at night. They love me because even at 3 am, I still carry food to them."

Masiyah’s perception of the Uyghurs changed over time. They were not the frightening people she once imagined. Instead, they were gentle and considerate.

“Some [Uyghurs] who have contact with their children, every time they ask about their children, they inquire how many chapters of the Quran their kids have memorized,” she observed. “I have never seen them talk of resentment that they have been imprisoned”

Originally a Buddhist like many Thais, Masiyah considered embracing Islam due to her frequent visits with Polat. Eventually, she decided to convert. “He would begin inviting me,” said Masiyah. “In the past, I drank a lot. He persuaded me to quit. I’ve quit alcohol for almost 6 years now. He always persuades me to do only good things.”

Apart from his positive influence on her, it was compassion that drew them closer and ultimately made them fall in love. As to who initiated the relationship, she fondly recalled, “He made me a ring. It was a braided ring. He asked me if I’d left my husband. I didn’t reply, but I wore that ring when I brought him food. These people are very good at weaving.”

“He never thought of making things difficult for me. He never asked me to do anything wrong. When we talked, I had the feeling that I could no longer disappear from him. I don’t know what the future will be like, but I’ll continue helping him like this because if I disappear, he won’t have anyone else to come and do it for him.”

Escape from Abuse

In 2014, Polat was among 220 Uyghurs arrested by the Thai police while attempting to cross into Malaysia. Prosecuted for illegal immigration, the group was later dispersed across detention centres throughout Thailand. The Uyghurs had fled Xinjiang, where the Chinese government maintains strict control despite the region's "autonomous" status and has faced widespread criticism for violations against the Muslim minority.

In 2016, Polat and six others were transferred to a facility in Mukdahan Province, where they remained detained for nearly 11 years. Masiyah shared the detainees' accounts of the Chinese authorities flooding Xinjiang with Han Chinese settlers, banning Islamic practices and coercing Uyghurs into compromising their faith through acts such as performing cultural shows or drinking alcohol.

According to BBC News and human rights groups, up to one million Uyghurs have been held in re-education camps, where they face cultural erasure, torture, and forced labour. The Chinese government denies these claims, describing the camps as "vocational training centres" meant to combat extremism. In search of better lives elsewhere, the Uyghurs instead ended up in Thailand's detention centres.

"The condition of the detention cells is very bad,” said Masiyah. “In the cell, there are two layers of bars: an inner layer and an outer layer. There are also zinc sheets blocking the view so no one can see them. The wind can't get in either."

According to Masiyah's account, they were all forced to live together in a cramped 4x6 metre room with an attached bathroom. Due to the lack of ability to see beyond the confined space and the absence of sunlight, some developed vision problems. Moreover, they also endured physical abuse and derogatory remarks from the officers.

"One person inside here was physically abused because this person liked speaking Thai and would often answer back to some of the officers ... so he was beaten badly," said Masiyah. "One of the Uyghurs once mentioned something about food, and [the officer] said, 'They’re really making a fuss. These people should be made to eat pork.'"

Polat's group attempted to escape twice. In 2019, they first broke out after tensions with the officers escalated when medical care was denied to a sick detainee. When the officers ordered them to be transferred to a larger detention room to reinforce the smaller one, they feared they would be beaten, which led to their escape.

“The officers had called for nearly 20 soldiers. It was expected that they’d come to beat them,” Masiyah recounted about the moments before their first escape. “But that day, the soldiers couldn’t open the cell door because the Uyghurs had already broken the lock. So, they survived. And after that, they knew they couldn’t stay there.”

After being recaptured, they served sentences in Mukdahan Prison before being returned to immigration detention. In 2020, they attempted to escape again. This time, they were sent to Klong Prem Prison for escaping custody and allegedly robbing villagers. Five of them, including Polat, remained in prison, while the other two, having completed their sentences, were among those deported to China on 27 February.

In defence of the detainees, Masiyah said that the reason they tied the villagers' hands and feet during their escape attempt was because they feared the villagers might alert the police. They never intended to steal anything of value.

"I once sat down and talked with a man [a villager] who had been tied up. The villager said, ‘They [Uyghurs] were very kind. They wouldn’t even take my 20 baht. After looking in my pocket, they didn’t take anything. And before they left, they placed my shoes under my head so I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable."

Surprisingly, the Uyghurs prefer Klong Prem Prison over the Mukdahan Immigration Detention Centre.

“They like it here [Klong Prem Prison] because there is a dining hall separate from the sleeping rooms, and they get to see sunlight,” said Masiyah. “When it rains, they get wet. But at the Immigration Detention Centre (at Mukdahan), it was not okay at all ... It’s worse than prison.

“They have the feeling that they would rather stay in prison than in the Immigration Detention Centre because the environment is better. If they’re sick, they can see a doctor at the Medical Correctional Hospital. [But at Mukdahan IDC], to get out to see a doctor just once, requires a lot of officers. If it’s not serious, they won’t take them. But here, they can write a request. If they get sick from something, they can write a request and submit it to the medical unit.”

Nobody Wants to Go Back

"None of those who are in the cells wants to go back,” said Masiyah of Polat and his friends. “They just ask us to pray for them, to make du'a [supplication] for them, so that they can go to a third country, so that they escape from China."

Masiyah does not believe that the 40 Uyghur detainees at the Immigration Office on Suan Phlu would voluntarily return to China.

"Are you [the government] always happy to let us contact [the 40 Uyghurs] that you sent back? Because we have a feeling that the people you're showing, there are only the weak, the sick, and those who are not brave enough [to resist]. The Uyghurs have people who are strong and who are leaders who handle everything on behalf of their friends. But in the pictures, none of them are there. They've all vanished, and we don’t know what will happen to them."

According to a press release from the Thai government on 27 February, the Chinese government officially requested the deportation of 45 Uyghurs who had been detained for over 10 years for illegally entering Thailand, except for a few who had escaped from custody and assaulted officers.

These include Polat and four others, whose crimes have ironically saved them. Pol Col Tawee Sodsong, the Minister of Justice, stated in a recent press conference that their sentences will be completed in 2029, at which point a decision will be made again.

Masiyah is relieved for now, but at the back of her mind, she remains concerned about the uncertainty ahead.

"It's ... a little bit [difficult], but we have a feeling that it’s not that hard. By saying it’s not hard, [I mean] it is good that he [Polat] is in prison, so it’s not hard. But if he were in Immigration, I would probably worry. Right now I am not too worried. I will be worried only if I am concerned whether he will be sent back or not.”