Cambodian Foreign Ministry says illegal Uighurs must go

Birmingham Star
Saturday 19th December, 2009

Chinese Uighurs are about to be expelled from Cambodia due to illegal entry into the country.

While the Cambodian Foreign Ministry has said they will go, it is still not certain where their final destination will be.

It is believed they will face possible torture and execution if they are returned to China.

Authorities in China have claimed the Uighurs are under investigation for criminal activities in ethnic clashes that killed nearly 200 people.

The 20 Muslim Uighurs fled into Cambodia from northwest China's Xinjiang region after the unrest in the area during the year.

It is believed the group has applied for refugee status at the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Phnom Penh, meaning Cambodia could still be obliged to take them in under international law if refugee status is granted.

China has said that as the Uighurs are suspected criminals, they should not be allowed to use the UN refugee system to escape punishment.