UN rights expert seek probe in China's region

Human rights experts on Tuesday urged China to allow UN to probe tensions in Xinjiang because of blatant violation of anti-torture rules.

GENEVA, December 22, 2009 (AFP) - UN human rights experts on Tuesday urged China to allow them to probe tensions in Xinjiang as they called the expulsion of 20 Chinese Uighurs from Cambodia "a blatant violation" of anti-torture rules.

The 20 Muslim Uighurs, who had fled the western Chinese region after unrest erupted there in July, were deported to China on Saturday after they sought asylum in the Cambodian capital Pnohm Penh.

"This is a blatant violation of Cambodia’s obligations under the principle of non-refoulement as stipulated in article 3 of the UN Convention against torture," UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak said in a statement.

Nowak said he had reports of "severe torture" in Xinjiang following the unrest while recent executions there violated "the most basic fair trial guarantees."

"I am calling on the Chinese authorities to treat the 20 persons humanely upon return in accordance with international standards, to grant access to them in case they are detained and to afford them due process guarantees, if charged with criminal offenses", he added.

China has accused the group of being "criminals."

Meanwhile, the UN Independent Expert on Minority Issues, Gay McDougall, called on Beijing to allow UN rights envoys to examine ethnic tensions in Xinjiang after the violence involving the Uighur and Han Chinese communities.

"It should be independent and impartial and hear the perspectives of both ethnic Han and Uighur communities. An analysis of that nature would be a positive step towards reconciliation," she said.

McDougall added that UN rights experts were "ideally situated" for such a task. She said China had so far not allowed them to make an official visit to Xinjaing.