China denounces U.S. for sending Uyghurs to Slovakia
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 2 January 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, China denounces U.S. for sending Uyghurs to Slovakia, 2 January 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/52e65aad7.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
January 02, 2014
Uyghur activists protest against the visit of Chinese President Hu Jintao outside the White House in Washington, D.C., in 2011.
China has criticized a U.S. decision to send three Uyghur detainees held at the Guantanamo Bay detention center to Slovakia.
The Foreign Ministry said on January 2 that Beijing had sought the repatriation of the Uyghur men, as they posed threats to the security of China and Slovakia.
"They are genuine terrorists. They not only threaten China's security, they will threaten the security of the country that receives them," ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news conference on January 2 in Beijing.
"China hopes that the relevant country honors its international obligations, does not give asylum to terrorists, and sends them back to China as soon as possible."
The United States announced earlier this week that the three will be released and sent to Slovakia.
The Slovak Interior Ministry has confirmed their transfer.
The Uyghurs are a Muslim ethnic group whose traditional homeland is the Xinjiang region of western China.
According to the Pentagon, the three Uyghurs are the last of 22 Muslim-minority Chinese nationals to be moved from the Guantanamo Bay base in Cuba.
The three Uyghurs were detained in Afghanistan in 2001.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
