Geneva, Sept. 23 -- Dolkun Isa, President of the Uyghur Centre for Democracy, has urged UN member states to uphold the principle of non-refoulement and ensure that Uyghurs fleeing alleged persecution in China are not forcibly returned to the country.

Addressing the 63rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Isa said Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers faced the risk of serious human rights violations if returned to China.

"Over the past two decades, we have documented more than 400 cases of refoulement affecting Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers, including from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Pakistan and Central Asian countries," Isa said.

He alleged that in several cases, governments had coo...