A Thai court on Thursday sentenced two ethnic Uyghur men from China’s northwestern Xinjiang region to death for their role in the 2015 bombing in central Bangkok that killed 20 people, according to a court statement.
The blast targeted the Erawan Shrine, a popular tourist site in the heart of Bangkok, killing 20 people and injuring around 120 others. Among those killed were five visitors from mainland China and two from Hong Kong.
Defendants Deny Charges and Plan Appeal
“The actions of both defendants constitute multiple separate offenses,” the court statement said, adding that the sentence included punishment for the charge of premeditated murder, which resulted in the death penalty.
Both of the accused will appeal the sentence within a month, a lawyer for one of the men, Choochat Kanpai, told reporters.
Bombing Linked to Uyghur Deportation Controversy
No group claimed responsibility for the bombing, but security experts say it was an act of retaliation against the forced deportation of more than 100 Uyghurs from Thailand in the previous month.
Uyghurs, who are mostly Muslim, say they flee China’s northwestern Xinjiang region due to persecution. Beijing rejects the claims.
China has faced criticism for the perceived tough restrictions it has imposed on religious and cultural freedoms in Xinjiang, where the majority of Uyghurs live.
The two suspects have denied the charges.
The case has taken more than 10 years to reach trial, with prosecutors collecting evidence from hundred of witnesses. They also struggled to find an appropriate interpreter for the suspects.
Last year, Thailand deported another 40 Uyghurs back to China, defying calls from United Nations human rights experts who said they would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment and “irreparable harm” if returned.
(With inputs from Reuters)
