M'sia to help Thailand find escaped Uighur detainees

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police are to work with the ASEAN Police and Interpol to help Thailand find and arrest the Uighurs who escaped from a Thai detention centre early on Monday and reportedly entered Malaysia, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pix).
He said the police would share intelligence information with the Thai security authorities to find and arrest those who escaped from the Sadao immigration detention centre close to the Malaysian-Thai common border.
"We (the Malaysian police) will work closely with the Thai authorities, ASEANAPOL and Interpol in the sharing of intelligence information on the matter," he said to reporters after opening the 3rd Counter-Terrorism Financing Summit 2017 here today.
Thailand had sought Malaysian assistance to trace the escapees. Twenty Uighurs reportedly escaped from the centre at about 2am (3am in Malaysia). Five were caught and the rest are believed to have crossed the border into Malaysia.
The Uighurs are part of the estimated 200 being held at Thai immigration detention centres and waiting to be sent back to China on Beijing's insistence. — Bernama