Update | China wins UN Human Rights Council seat... despite its refusal to allow inspectors in

China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Cuba and Algeria won seats Tuesday on the UN Human Rights Council, riling independent human rights groups who said their election undermined the rights watchdog’s credibility.

The General Assembly elected 14 new members to the 47-seat Geneva-based council, which can shine a spotlight on rights abuses by adopting resolutions - when it chooses to do so. It also has dozens of special monitors watching problem countries and major issues ranging from executions to drone strikes.

Britain, France, the Maldives, Macedonia, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa were also elected to three-year terms.

Human Rights Watch noted that five of the new council members  — China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam and Algeria — have refused to let U.N. investigators visit to check alleged abuses. China, Russia and Algeria have 10 or more unfulfilled requests for visits by UN experts, some dating back to 2000, the group said. Saudi Arabia and Vietnam each have seven outstanding requests, they said.

“Countries that haven’t allowed UN experts appointed by the council to visit have a lot of explaining to do,” said Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director of the New York-based non-government group. “It’s like hiring someone, then not allowing them to enter the office.”

Across the street from the main gate of UN headquarters, pro-Tibet activists hung a huge banner saying “China Fails Human Rights.”

Seats, allotted by region, are sometimes contested and sometimes not. All 193 members of the General Assembly can vote by secret ballots, which were collected in wooden ballot boxes from delegates.