Canada and US offered Uyghurs in Thailand asylum before deportation to China, sources say

* Canada and US offered Uyghurs in Thailand asylum before deportation to China, sources say Group of 48 Uyghurs detained in Thailand sent back to China last week * No concrete offer to resettle the Uyghurs prior to deportation, says Thai minister * US, China and Australia made offers to Thai authorities to resettle group - sources * Thai government did not take action to avoid upsetting China, says former diplomat By Panu Wongcha-um BANGKOK, - Canada and the United States offered to resettle 48 ethnic Uyghurs held in detention in Thailand over the past decade, sources told Reuters, but Bangkok took no action for fear of upsetting China, where they were covertly deported last week. "The United States has worked with Thailand for years to avoid this situation, including by consistently and repeatedly offering to resettle the Uyghurs in other countries, including, at one point, the United States," the U.S. official said, asking not to be named. Deputy premier Phumtham said Thailand made the decision to deport the group to China last week after reassurances from Beijing that Thai officials would be allow to monitor the Uyghurs' well-being in the country following their return. United Nations human rights experts had said the group would be at risk of torture, ill-treatment, and "irreparable harm" if returned to China, and their deportation has drawn widespread condemnation.