43 countries call on China to respect Uyghur Muslims' rights

Forty-three countries on Thursday called on China at the UN to "ensure full respect for the rule of law" with regard to the Muslim Uyghur community in Xinjiang.

Forty-three countries on Thursday called on China at the UN to "ensure full respect for the rule of law" with regard to the Muslim Uyghur community in Xinjiang, where respect for human rights remains "particularly" worrying.

"We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her office," the countries said in a joint statement, read at the United Nations by France.