Tue 01 November 2022:
On Monday, fifty countries endorsed a statement that was read during a UN debate and denounced the “severe and systematic” human rights abuses occurring in China’s Xinjiang region.
The statement, read out by Canada during a debate of the UN General Assembly Third Committee, which deals with human rights, said, “We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in the People’s Republic of China, especially the ongoing human rights violations of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.”
In a long-awaited report on Xinjiang that was released in August, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) raised concerns about potential crimes against humanity committed against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region.
Beijing denies the accusations and insists that it is battling terrorism and promoting regional development.
“Such severe and systematic violations of human rights cannot be justified on the basis of counter-terrorism. In view of the gravity of the OHCHR assessment, we are concerned that China has so far refused to discuss its findings,” the statement added.
The United States, Britain, Japan, France, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Guatemala, and even Somalia are among the 50 signatories.
Beijing was encouraged to “implement the recommendations of the OHCHR assessment” which include “taking prompt steps to release all individuals arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in Xinjiang, and to urgently clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing family members and facilitate safe contact and reunion.”
In early October, China managed to avoid a discussion of the OHCHR report at the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council after a majority of the body’s 47 members blocked the beginning of debate.
International NGO Human Rights Watch requested on Monday that the UN Human Rights Council “try again” to convene the discussion “as soon as possible.”
“Clearly, diplomatic momentum in favor of holding Beijing accountable for its human rights violations is growing,” said the NGO’s UN director, Louis Charbonneau.
“Human Rights Watch is urging council members to attempt again at the earliest possible date to discuss and consider options for establishing a UN-backed mechanism to investigate further the Chinese government’s responsibility for human rights violations,” he added.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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