The secret deportation by Thailand of dozens of Uyghurs to China that has sparked international condemnation is a diplomatic win for Beijing and a snub to the United States and the United Nations, who had long warned that the men would face torture and imprisonment if they were returned home.

"Similar deportations have prompted violent retaliatory attacks in the past," a security alert posted on the embassy website said. "Most notably, in the wake of a 2015 deportation of Uyghurs from Thailand,

Human rights groups warned that the Uyghurs, who were held in Bangkok for more than a decade, will face mistreatment from Chinese authorities back in Xinjiang.