On the same day that China was given a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council, AP reports:

China on Tuesday blasted a U.S. decision to release five Chinese Muslims from the Guantanamo Bay detention center to seek asylum in Albania, describing them as suspected terrorists and demanding their return.

A European—based Uighur Muslim activist said the men would face the death penalty or torture if sent back to China.

As for the UN seat, another AP report notes that U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kristen Silverberg said "on the whole, we think it is an improvement over the commission."

We are committed to engaging actively in the coming weeks with all of the elected members ... to make sure that this body is effective," she said. "We think think that the real test of this council will be whether it can take effective action in serious cases of human rights abuse like Darfur, ... Burma, North Korea and other places.

Hat tip: China Challenges

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