RSF - Reporters sans frontières

07/17/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/17/2026 10:15

Journalist Bai Zhaodong at imminent risk of forced return to China: More than 50 NGOs, including RSF, urge Thailand not to bow to Beijing's pressure

A coalition of more than 50 press freedom and human rights NGOs, led by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Safeguard Defenders (SD), is calling on the Thai authorities to refrain from forcibly returning detained Chinese journalist Bai Zhaodong to China. If sent back, the journalist would be at serious risk of arbitrary detention and torture.

"The international community must unite pressure on the Thai government to ensure Bai Zhaodong's safety. If forcibly returned to China, the journalist will face almost certainly face arbitrary detention, torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment as retaliation for his investigations into the Chinese Communist Party's highest officials. We call on Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to uphold Thailand's international obligations by halting any deportation proceedings to China and allowing Bai Zhaodong's safe transfer to a third country of his choosing.

Aleksandra Bielakowska
Advocacy Manager, RSF Asia-Pacific
Published on 17.07.2026
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