Condemnation of China’s Xinjiang, Hong Kong Policies Gains Support at UN

2020-10-07
Email story
Comment on this story
Share
Print story
Germany’s UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen delivers a statement to the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee in New York, Oct. 6, 2020.
Germany’s UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen delivers a statement to the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee in New York, Oct. 6, 2020.
United Nations

The U.K. and Germany have led a group of 39 member states in condemning China’s treatment of Uyghurs and imposition of harsh security measures in Hong Kong at the U.N. General Assembly, signaling increasing opposition to Beijing’s policies from the international community.

In a joint statement issued late on Tuesday to the General Assembly’s human rights committee, the two nations—as well as the U.S., Canada, Australia, Japan, and several members of the European Union—slammed China for its persecution of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

The countries also expressed concern over provisions in the recently passed Hong Kong National Security Law they said do not conform to China’s international legal obligations.

Germany’s U.N. Ambassador Christoph Heusgen told the committee that the 39 member states had seen “an increasing number of reports of gross human rights violations” in the XUAR, where authorities are believed to have arbitrarily detained up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other minority Muslims in a vast network of internment camps since early 2017.

The countries pointed to “severe restrictions” on freedom of religion or belief and the freedoms of movement, association and expression, as well as on Uyghur culture. They also noted widespread surveillance that “disproportionally continues to target Uyghurs and other minorities,” as more reports emerge of forced labor and forced birth control, including sterilization.

“We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful, and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers including the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and her Office, and relevant special procedure mandate holders,” the statement said.

The 39 member states urged China to implement recommendations made in August 2018 by the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), including by refraining from the arbitrary detention of Uyghurs and other minorities, while also calling on all countries to respect the principle of non-refoulement of those who have fled repression in the XUAR.

They insisted that China also respect human rights in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), where Tibetans have similarly seen their freedoms eroded under Beijing’s rule and are facing forced labor and other policies seen in the XUAR.

The countries also expressed “deep concern” about elements of the July 1 Hong Kong National Security Law, which outlaws words and deeds deemed by the authorities to constitute separatism, subversion or terrorism, or collusion with a foreign power. Under the law, certain cases can be transferred for prosecution to the Chinese mainland.

They said authorities must guarantee the rights protected under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Joint Declaration signed between London and Beijing ahead of the handover of Hong Kong from the U.K. to China in 1997, including freedoms of speech, the press and assembly.

“We also call on China to uphold autonomy, rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and to respect the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary,” the countries said.

Growing support

Tuesday’s condemnation marked a significant increase in the number of countries willing to stand up to China’s threats of cutting off trade with nations that support such statements. A similar resolution last year received only 23 backers.

The shift in rights diplomacy comes as public opinion in a number of countries has soured on China.

A survey published Tuesday by the Pew Research Center found that more than two-thirds of people in 14 major countries expressed no confidence in Chinese President Xi Jinping to pursue a constructive foreign policy. One of the most widely cited reasons was China’s lack of transparency in its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, which originated in its central city of Hubei late last year.

While China had enjoyed an overwhelming positive public image in the EU in recent years, the country is increasingly being viewed with suspicion about its motives in the region. Several key European countries, including Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, were willing to support a resolution condemning China for the first time this year.

Dolkun Isa, president of the Munich-based World Uyghur Congress exile group, applauded Tuesday’s statement, which he said “proves the international community stands with us and we’re not alone.”

“This also proves the international community is being daily persuaded by our righteous cause,” he told RFA’s Uyghur Service. “As a result, many nations are taking up our issue.”

Speaking to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, China’s U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun sought to paint the vote as part of a bid by the Trump administration to draw attention away from its own domestic problems that include racial inequality and a failed response to the pandemic that has led to more than 210,000 deaths in the U.S.

“I would like to say to the U.S. that blaming China cannot cover up your poor human rights records,” Zhang said.

“Before accusing others, you’d better take a good look in the mirror at yourself. In fact: It is the U.S. that should protect the basic rights of its people.”

China issued a statement defending its policies in the XUAR as part of an effective strategy against the “threats of terrorism and extremism,” and secured support from 45 other countries to back it.

People protest at a Uyghur rally in front of the US Mission to the United Nations in New York, Feb. 5, 2019.
People protest at a Uyghur rally in front of the US Mission to the United Nations in New York, Feb. 5, 2019. AFP
Turkish expectations

While Turkey—a nation that is home to more than 50,000 Uyghurs who fled there to escape persecution in China and whose people share cultural and linguistic affinities with the Turkic ethnic group—did not add its name to Tuesday’s resolution, its mission to the U.N. issued a statement in which it said the rights situation in the XUAR “remains a cause of concern” and that the CERD’s recommendations “are still valid today and need to be acted on.”

“While respecting China’s territorial integrity, Turkey’s expectation, which is well known by the international community, as well as by the Chinese authorities, is that Uyghur Turks and other Muslim minorities live in peace and prosperity as equal citizens of China, and that their cultural and religious identities are respected and guaranteed,” the mission said.

“As a country having ethnic, religious and cultural ties with the Uyghur Turks, we have been particularly alarmed by the recently published reports and news on alleged human rights practices against Uyghur Turks and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.”

Turkey’s mission echoed a call for “a meaningful, full-fledged, and unrestricted visit of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights to Xinjiang” and urged China to act in a transparent manner on the issue.

In February 2019, Turkey’s Foreign Ministry issued a rare statement of criticism of China by a majority Muslim nation, demanding that authorities close the internment camps in the XUAR.

During a trip to China in July last year, however, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged security cooperation with Beijing and said that residents of the XUAR live happy and prosperous lives under Beijing’s rule, according to Chinese state television.

A 2017 extradition treaty signed between Beijing and Ankara—while not ratified—was submitted by Erdogan for consideration a year ago to the Grand National Assembly (TBMM). Observers fear it specifically targets Uyghurs in the majority Muslim nation for forced repatriation to China.

The Turkish government had long refused to extradite or deport Uyghurs back to China, but that changed in June last year—two months after the treaty was submitted to parliament—when Turkey sent several home via Tajikistan, including a woman named Zinnetgul Tursun along with her two toddler daughters.

A month later, Tursun’s sister—who lives in exile in Saudi Arabia—learned from her mother in the XUAR that her sibling had “disappeared” and that the family had no information about what had happened to her, before warning her to end further communication.

In Washington on Wednesday, Sen. Rick Scott called on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to pass his resolution calling on the International Olympic Committee to remove the 2022 Winter Games from Beijing, citing “gross human rights violations” against Uyghurs.

Scott’s proposal follows the House of Representatives passage of two pieces of legislation last month aimed at blocking the import of products made by forced labor in the XUAR.

“As long as General Secretary Xi [Jinping] continues on this indefensible course, Communist China should absolutely not be rewarded with the 2022 Olympic Games,” Scott wrote in a letter to the senate committee.

Reported and translated by Alim Seytoff for RFA’s Uyghur Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Comments (3)
Share

Victoria

from San Diego

PLEASE WAKE UP. Those countries will pay very heavy price for supporting China's Uyghur Genocide. Only terrorists support genocide. Only terrorist support terrorists. Dictators of those countries are mass murdering own citizens in own country and supporting China's UYGHUR GENOCIDE for dirty Chinese Money. Put money above human life will force them pay heavy price.

We all know very well, CHI-NAZI ARE EXTERMINATING ENTIRE UYGHUR NATION TO TAKE OVER VAST AND NATURAL RESOURCES EXTREMELY RICH UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN.

Since early 2016, China has been Carrying out Genocide and Ethnically Cleansing UYGHUR PEOPLE in UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN.

CHINA'S UYGHUR GENOCIDE IN CHINA UNLAWFULLY OCCUPIED UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN IS NOT CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. IT IS VERY SERIOUS CRIMES.

CHINA'S TIBETAN GENOCIDE IN CHINA UNLAWFULLY OCCUPIED TIBET IS NOT CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. IT IS VERY SERIOUS CRIMES.

CHINA'S SOUTHERN MONGOLIAN GENOCIDE IN CHINA UNLAWFULLY OCCUPIED SOUTHERN MONGOLIA IS NOT CHINA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS. IT IS VERY SERIOUS CRIMES.

Bat and dog eaters are universally considered lowlifes. They have no human behaviour.

CHINESE WERE ALIENS IN UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, TIBET, SOUTHERN MONGOLIA, MANCHURIA, HUI REPUBLIC, AKSAY, KOKNOOR (QINGHAI), KANGSU (GANSU), CANTONIA, KOREAN LIAONING.

In EAST TURKESTAN REPUBLIC before 1949, there were over 97% UYGHURS, less than 3% Kazakh, Kyrgyzstan, Tatar and Uzbek. Less than 30,000 ethnic-Han-Chinese illegal immigrants, Refugees.

On 17 October 1949 China has Unlawfully invaded Uyghur East Turkestan, murdered over 45% Uyghurs, and 1st October 1955 set up XINJIANG UYGHUR AUTONOMOUS REGION.

FIRST TRAIN HAS CONNECTED UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN WITH CHINA IN OCTOBER 1958 to steal variety of goods from Vast and Natural Resources Extremely Rich UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN.

Until 1966, except Unlawfully invaded Chinese Armed Forces there were no settled Ethnic Han-Chinese in UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN...
Second Train has connected East Turkestan with China in 2018 to Mass Unlawful Transport illiterate, homeless, jobless, starving and unwanted ethnic Han-Chinese from villages in China to Uyghur East Turkestan.

Chinese government has cut off All Telephone connections, All internet connections, All Postal Services and All Essential Travels in Between UYGHUR PEOPLES’ Vast East Turkestan and Rest of the World.

In 2019, there were over 46% Uyghur and less than 40% Chinese in Uyghur East Turkestan. All Chinese in Uyghur East Turkestan are 100% illegal immigrants.

China has put ALL UYGHUR INTELLECTUALS, Uyghur Leaders, Uyghur business owners and young Uyghur man in China's UYGHUR CONCENTRATION DEATH CAMPS, China's UYGHUR ORGAN HARVESTING CENTRES and China's HALAL UYGHUR ORGAN INDUSTRY is booming..

There is no Uyghur is allowed to travel to outside UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN. There is no Uyghur is allowed to travel to UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN from any other countries.....


WAKE UP PEOPLE. Have you meet up with any Uyghur, Tibetan or any non-ethnic-Han-Chinese from China unlawfully invaded and China illegally occupied NINE COUNTRIES - UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Buddhist Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Manchuria, Korean Liaoning, Hui Republic, Kok Noor (Qinghai), Kazak Aksay and Cantonia?

We all know that there were Millions of CCP Trolls, CCP Parrots, CCP Spies, Thieves, Copycats, Hackers, Mass Murderers, Terrorists, CGTN and many false information producers, False information Feeders ...

Are there any Terrorist Organisation in the World have no Financial Support from CCP Chi-NAZI? .

We have studied Chinese language, Chinese culture and Chinese history in China. We have lived in China for many years. We have traveled all over China. We have traveled all over China Unlawfully invaded and China illegally occupied NINE COUNTRIES - UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Buddhist Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Manchuria, Korean Liaoning, Hui Republic, Kok Noor (Qinghai), Kazak Aksay and Cantonia.

CHINESE WERE ALIENS in NINE COUNTRIES - UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Buddhist Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Manchuria, Korean Liaoning, Hui Republic, Kok Noor (Qinghai), Kazak Aksay, Cantonia.

All Chinese were slaves of Manchu People's Qing Dynasty from 1624 - 1912. There was no country named China. Chinese were named MAN CHING REN (People in Manchu People's Qing Dynasty or subjects of Manchu People's Qing Dynasty). After Manchu People's Qing Dynasty collapsed in 1912, there were many war lords. Uyghurs have re-established UYGHUR East Turkestan Republic in 1933. In East Turkestan Republic, Uyghurs were 97% and less than 3% were Kazakh, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbek, and Tatar etc Turkic people. There were no settled Chinese in East Turkestan Republic, only less than 30,000 Chinese Refugees and Chinese illegal immigrants in Uyghur East Turkestan Republic.

After many bloody wars, 1st October 1949 Chinese have own country - People's Republic of China. In December 1949 Chinese Army has unlawfully invaded UYGHUR East Turkestan. Until start of Chinese Cultural Revolution in 1966, there was no settled Chinese citizen in UYGHUR East Turkestan Republic.

SIZE OF EAST TURKESTAN IS BIGGER THAN COMBINATION OF EUROPE'S BIGGEST FOUR COUNTRIES GERMANY, FRANCE, UK AND ITALY. Again East Turkestan has so much Rare Earth Materials, Uranium, Gold, Petrol, Gas, Fresh water, Great Grassland, Plenty of Wild animals, Fertile land, so much food, vegetables, fruits.

Over 1.4 billion Chinese are living in extremely over crowded, over polluted and natural resources poor little China. Chinese Population are booming. Chinese are desperately invading all fertile lands in China unlawfully invaded and China illegally occupied NINE COUNTRIES - UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Buddhist Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Manchuria, Korean Liaoning, Hui Republic, Kok Noor (Qinghai), Kazak Aksay, and Cantonia.

Since early 2016, China has been Carrying out Genocide and Ethnically Cleansing UYGHUR PEOPLE in UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN. Chinese government has cut off All Telephone connections, All internet connections, All Postal Services and All Essential Travels in Between UYGHUR PEOPLES’ Vast East Turkestan and Rest of the World. In 2019, there were over 46% Uyghur and less than 40% Chinese in Uyghur East Turkestan. All Chinese in Uyghur East Turkestan are 100% illegal immigrants.

China has put ALL UYGHUR INTELLECTUALS, Uyghur Leaders, Uyghur business owners and young Uyghur man in China's UYGHUR CONCENTRATION DEATH CAMPS, China's UYGHUR ORGAN HARVESTING CENTRES and China's HALAL UYGHUR ORGAN INDUSTRY is booming..

There is no Uyghur is allowed to travel to outside UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN. There is no Uyghur is allowed to travel to UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN from any other countries.

Since early 2016, Chinese government and Chinese armed forces have unlawfully transported over TEN MILLION illiterate, extremely poor, homeless, jobless and unwanted ethnic Han-Chinese from villages in China to Vast and Natural Resources Rich UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN and allocated those Omni-eater to all Uyghur Families to look after…. Those Chinese were traveled over THREE THOUSAND Km from Villages in China, crossed entire Hui Republic, Kok Noor, Great Gobi Desert, Tengrii Mountains and settled in Uyghur homes in UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN… Chinese armed forces and Chinese armed thugs have unlawfully round up all UYGHUR MALES aged 14-70 and put them in China’s UYGHUR Concentration Mass Murder Camps, China’s Uyghur Organ Harvesting Centres… Over 7 Million Uyghur children were taken away from Uyghur homes and China has send them to China’s UYGHUR Children Concentration Camps and China’s Uyghur Organ Harvesting Centres…. Millions of Chinese have implanted Uyghur Organs and Chinese government has made billions of Dollars after sell Uyghur Organs…. Many Rich Saudis and Rich Arabs have implanted HALAL UYGHUR ORGANS and China has made another Billions of Dollars from UYGHUR ORGAN HARVESTING AND UYGHUR ORGAN IMPLANTING INDUSTRIES.

Buddhist Tibetans have lost over 40 million lives under China's ethnic cleansing.... Now Tibetans have no power to resist state terrorism...
Christian minorities are all raped, forced to worship Xi jinping and Christians are living in horror..

CCP China and CCP CHINESE have no Transparency, No Accountability, No humanity, No civilization, No culture, No dignity…. All terrorists are 100% Chinese illegal immigrants in China unlawfully invaded and China illegally occupied NINE COUNTRIES - UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Buddhist Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Manchuria, Korean Liaoning, Hui Republic, Kok Noor (Qinghai), Kazak Aksay, Cantonia.

CCP China has paid $15 million to PALESTINE, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, etc to support China at the UN Assembly.

At the UN Assembly on 12 July 2019 and again on 30 October 2019 PALESTINE, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, etc have supported China to Exterminate UYGHURS and Full Occupy UYGHUR PEOPLES' Vast and Natural Resources Rich Motherland East Turkestan.

How on earth, PALESTINE and most Arab countries Support China to Ethnically Cleanse All UYGHUR CHILDREN, Uyghur woman, Uyghur man and Unlawfully Occupy UYGHUR PEOPLES' Motherland East Turkestan and same time Palestine SCREAM ABOUT ISRAEL?

China’s UYGHUR Concentration Mass Murder Camps, Uyghur Organ Harvesting Centres and China’s Uyghur Halal Uyghur Organ Industry are not China’s Internal Affairs.

International community will bring Xi Jinping and Chinese dictators to justice and they will face serious justice. They have to deal by justice for State Terrorism, Mass Murder Uyghurs, Illegal Invasion in Uyghur East Turkestan, War crimes, Unlawful Occupation of Uyghur East Turkestan, Mass Torture, Forced Starvation, Gang rape, Forced Abortion and mass murder Uyghur mothers and Uyghur children, Dehumanization, De-Culturisation, Harvesting Organs from still living defenceless Uyghurs to make money, Uyghur genocide, Uyghur Ethnic cleansing, De-Uyghurising UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Re-population of UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN with Mass Ethnic Han-Chinese Unlawful immigration from Villages in Provinces of China to UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Stealing Trillions of Dollars of Goods from Uyghurs and Uyghurs East Turkestan ( Over TRILLION DOLLARS of Rare Earth Materials, Uranium, Gold, Coal, Petrol, Natural Gas, Cotton, Grains, Animals, Meat, Wool, Fruits, Vegetables, Jade, Gems and many more )…..

Freedom, Independence and Self Governing for UYGHUR EAST TURKESTAN, Buddhist Tibet, Southern Mongolia, Manchuria, Korean Liaoning, Hui Republic, Kok Noor (Qinghai), Kazak Aksay, Cantonia, Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan

Stop Work as Trolls and Parrots of CCP China

Boycott China..

Oct 08, 2020 06:30 PM

Anonymous Reader

The world now knows the despicable Chinese Communist leaders forceful violations of human rights nationwide, including denial of rights guaranteed by their own law. Persecution of religion and free speech have been violated there for many years, then was eased up by Deng's leadership, and China began to prosper, but since Xi and his group has rolled back Deng's advances for the people and now is worse than Mao. Even Mao was smart enough to make money from Hong Kong, and not ruin it.
The world has awoken, and the consequences are piling up, this genocide must stop. The backwards communists are poorly led.

Oct 07, 2020 10:16 PM

Anonymous Reader

China should limit the number of German cars being sold in China as retaliation.

Oct 07, 2020 09:54 PM

CH. 1: MANDARIN | CANTONESE

CH. 2: VIETNAMESE | BURMESE | KOREAN

CH. 3: KHMER | LAO | UYGHUR

CH. 4: TIBETAN

More Listening Options

View Full Site