Amnesty International issued an open letter calling on the Cambodian government to refuse any extradition request by China over Uighur who fled violence.
Two of the 22 Uighurs who sought asylum through the UNHCR offices in Phnom Penh say they witnessed security forces killing and beating Uighur demonstrators in Urumqi on July 5, the Uighur American Association said.
On that day, demonstrations in Urumqi by Uighurs protesting against fatal attacks on Uighur workers in South China turned into a violent protests in which 197 people died in a crakdown. Han Chinese crowds launched revenge attacks against Uighur neighbourhoods two days later.
Overseas Uighur groups say Uighurs have been rounded up in mass detentions since the violence. China has handed down at least 17 death sentences over the violence.
The letter cited cases of Uighurs who were returned to China, sometimes after gaining refugee status, and subsequently detained and reportedly tortured and executed.
Chinese diplomatic note
Cambodian officials confirmed that a diplomatic note from the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh had been received, but neither the Chinese nor Cambodian authorities have divulged whether it was anextradition request.
(The Uighurs) are suspected of "crimes", Jiang, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, said at a media briefing on Thursday.
"We think the global refugee protection system should not become a refuge for criminals fleeing from their crimes."
China has yet to elaborate on their alleged crimes or provide any evidence.
The Uighur American Association (UAA) said the Uighurs could face persecution and even execution if they were deported to China.
"We believe Cambodia should abide by its international human rights commitments," said Amy Reger, a UAA researcher.
"The economic ties between Cambodia and China should not interfere with the asylum-seeking process," said Thys Hoekman of the Unrepresented Nation and Peoples Organisation, based in The Hague.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is assisting Cambodia in determining the status of the 22 Uighurs. If they were deemed to be refugees, Cambodia was bound by the 1951 convention not to deport them, said UNHCR spokeswoman Kitty McKinsey.
Cambodian officials said Xi will meet with King Norodom Sihamoni, Prime Minister Hun Sen and other government officials during his three-day visit.
China changed name of East Turkistan and named it Xinjiang in 1955.
Many Uighurs resent Han Chinese rule, complaining they're marginalised economically and politically in their own land, while having to tolerate a rising influx of Han Chinese migrants.
Meanwhile, human rights groups accuse Beijing of using claims of "terrorism" as an excuse to crack down on peaceful pro-independence sentiment and expressions of Uighur identity.
East Turkistan, that has 8 million Uighurs, borders Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, has abundant oil reserves and is China's largest natural gas-producing region.
Agencies