China's government has reportedly been destroying Uyghur cemeteries in the country's Xinjiang province, affecting thousands of graves and in some cases leaving the sites strewn with human remains.

CNN reported Thursday that at least 100 cemeteries have been demolished by Chinese authorities since 2014, with much of the destruction occurring between 2017 and 2019. Chinese officials did not deny that the demolitions had occurred, with at least one official notice pointing to a need to relocate the cemetery for city planning purposes, according to the cable news network.

Agence France-Presse separately reported that some graveyards were covered with human bones, raising questions about the treatment of Uyghur gravesites by Chinese workers and officials.

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"It's akin for an American to see Arlington cemetery razed and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier dug up and paved over," Rian Thum, an associate history professor at Loyola University in New Orleans, told CNN.

An official for China's foreign ministry denied any mistreatment.

"Governments ... in Xinjiang fully respect and guarantee the freedom of all ethnic groups ... to choose cemeteries, and funeral and burial methods," the person told CNN.

China has faced growing international criticism for its treatment of its Uyghur Muslim minority, with the State Department saying it's possible that as many as 2 million Uyghurs are being held in prison camps.