The Cambodian government has deported 20 Uighurs who sought asylum in Cambodia back to China, UPI reported. Beijing claims the Uighurs are "terrorists" involved with ethnic rioting in Xinjiang last summer, but the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has stated that Cambodia returned the Uighurs to Chinese authorities without making any effort to validate their claims. The Cambodian Interior Ministry has also stated that it is still searching for two Uighurs who have disappeared while in Cambodia, and that they will also be returned if found. The US government has criticized the decisions and says it will have an impact on US-Cambodian relations.
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