By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) - The Canadian government condemned China on Tuesday for taking steps against two Canadian institutions and 20 people involved in human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and Tibet.
China announced the measures, which included asset freezes and bans on entry, on Sunday. Its targets included the Canada-based Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and the Canada-Tibet Committee, China's foreign ministry said.
"Global Affairs Canada expresses solidarity with the members of the Canadian Tibet Committee and the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project and condemns the decision by the Chinese Government to punish them for speaking out for human rights," the Canadian government said in a statement.
The Canadian statement urged China to respect its obligations under international law while also urging Canadians to exercise a high degree of caution in China due to the risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour in camps. Beijing denies any abuses.
China seized control of Tibet in 1950 in what it describes as a "peaceful liberation" from feudalistic serfdom. International human rights groups and exiles, however, have routinely condemned what they call China's oppressive rule in Tibetan areas.
"The Government of Canada will not tolerate any threats, acts of violence or harassment of people in Canada or their family and friends because of their political opinions or to silence dissenting viewpoints," the Canadian government said.