Beijing, Feb. 20 -- The Chinese government has increasingly imposed arbitrary restrictions on people's internationally protected right to leave the country.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW), Chinese authorities need people from areas they generally deem to be at high risk of online fraud or "illegal" emigration to provide extra documentation and receive approval from many government offices when applying for a passport. Passports are frequently refused to those who don't meet these onerous conditions. In regions where the majority population consists of Tibetans and Uyghurs, the government has long prohibited citizens from obtaining passports.

"While many Chinese citizens enjoy international travel, the right to leave C...