US urges Malaysia to protect minority Muslims sought by China

WASHINGTON: The United States has urged Malaysia to offer temporary protection to 11 Uighur Muslims whose extradition is being sought by China.

The US State Department said it had called on Malaysia to allow the UN refugee agency access to the Uighurs - among a group of 20 originally from China who escaped from Thailand last year - to determine their eligibility for international protection and eventual resettlement in a third country.