China on Thursday refuted a report by the US- based Human Rights Watch, which claimed dozens of ethnic Uygur people had disappeared after the July 5 riot in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

When asked to comment on the report at a regular press conference, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ma Zhaoxu said he didn't know what grounds the organization based its assertions on.

Ma said the organization had fabricated rumors to attack China on many occasions.

He said the riot was a violent crime instigated and organized by the three forces of terrorism, separatism and extremism at home and abroad, adding that China's judiciary departments were handling the related cases according to law.