Chinese authorities have been accused of detaining more than one million ethnic minorities of the Muslim faith in internment camps in the north west of the country.

Callista Gingrich, the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, said that ethnic Uighurs, Kazakhs, and other minorities are subjected to repressive surveillance, confiscations of Qurans, torture, sexual abuse and death.

Speaking ahead of an event in Rome to promote religious freedom, she said it is critical that China be pressured to clean up its act.

Reports of the camps have appeared in international media over the last few months.

A week ago, in response to a question from Mattie McGrath TD, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs expressed ‘concern’ about the incarceration by China of up to a million Uighur Muslims, but did not express condemnation.