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GENEVA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Britain's foreign secretaryDominic Raab on Monday denounced torture, forced labour andsterilisations that he said were taking place against MuslimUighurs on an "industrial scale" in China's Xinjiang region.

Activists and U.N. rights experts have said that at least 1million Muslims are detained in camps in the remote westernregion. China denies abuses and says its camps providevocational training and are needed to fight extremism.

Raab, in a recorded speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council,said that the rights of people in Hong Kong - a former Britishcolony - were being "systematically violated". The nationalsecurity law imposed by China was inhibiting freedoms, he said,calling for free and fair legislative elections to take place."The situation in Xinjiang is beyond the pale," he told theGeneva forum where China is among the 47 member states.

"The reported abuses – which include torture, forced labourand forced sterilisation of women – are extreme and they areextensive. They are taking place on an industrial scale," hesaid.

Raab called for U.N. High Commissioner for Human RightsMichelle Bachelet or another independent expert to be given"urgent and unfettered access" to Xinjiang and said that thereshould be a resolution at the council to this effect.

The Biden administration has endorsed a last-minutedetermination by the Trump administration that China hascommitted genocide in Xinjiang and has said the United Statesmust be prepared to impose costs on China.

Raab told the rights forum the situation in Myanmar wasworsening after a military coup on Feb. 1.

"The military must step aside. Civilian leaders must bereleased. And the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmarmust be respected," he said.(Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; editing by Michael Shields)