Thailand acted in accordance with human rights when it sent 40 Uyghurs back to China last week, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters on Monday.

Thai human rights activists criticized the government’s deportation of 40 Uyghurs to China, saying the United Nations should drop Thailand from its Human Rights Council for a decision that made the kingdom look like a Chinese vassal.

The secret deportation by Thailand of dozens of Uyghur men to China that has sparked international condemnation is a diplomatic win for Beijing and a snub to the United States and the United Nations,