International standards and human rights principles must be followed, Thailand's prime minister said on Thursday, in response to concerns aired by activists that 48 Uyghurs held for more than a decade had been secretly deported to China.

Thailand should be commended for its handling of its return of 40 Uyghur Muslims to China, a deputy premier said on Friday, as his country endured a torrent of international condemnation over its secretive deportation.

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.