The move appeared intended to discourage Thailand and other countries from such deportations. WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Friday (Mar 14) against officials from Thailand, a US ally, for their role in deporting at least 40 Uyghurs to China , where Washington says the members of the Muslim group will face persecution. The US is "committed to combating China's efforts to pressure governments to forcibly return Uyghurs and other groups to China, where they