Kadeer denies Uygurs joining extremists in Syria

NHK

Feb. 3, 2015 - Updated 03:08 UTC-5

The leader of ethnic Uygurs living abroad has denied China's allegation that Uygurs are leaving the country illegally to join Islamic State militants in Syria.

The head of the World Uyghur Congress, Rebiya Kadeer, spoke to reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.

She said a number of Uygurs are losing their hope of living in China because of the government's crackdown, and they are being forced to flee the country. She said they are political refugees who opted to leave China.

Growing numbers of Uygurs have left China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in recent years, to head for Turkey via Southeast Asia.

The Chinese government says some of them are leaving to take part as fighters in what Islamic extremists in Syria and elsewhere call a holy war.

Kadeer asked the international community to accept Uygur illegal immigrants as political refugees. She said if they were handed over to the Chinese authorities, they will be persecuted.

Malaysia and Cambodia have repatriated Uygurs who slipped into the countries.