Australia confronts China’s treatment of Uygurs as retailers investigate forced labour claims
- There are 10 Australian permanent residents – including a two-year-old Australian citizen – allegedly detained in Xinjiang
- Separately, Australia’s defence force chief says climate change may allow Beijing to occupy Pacific Islands
Payne made the remarks to Radio National ahead of an ABC Four Corners investigation on treatment of Uygurs, which has prompted retailers Cotton On and Target Australia to commit to investigate their supply chains because they reportedly source cotton from Xinjiang.
Asked about the detention of more than 1 million Uygurs, Payne said Australia was “deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including the use of detention facilities”.
“Those concerns have been raised with China regularly including by me directly in my visit last year,” Payne said.
“A letter was signed to the president of the Human Rights Council and the UN high commissioner for human rights a week or so ago – we were one of 22 signatories to that letter – and I think what that reflects is an increasing international focus on the developments in Xinjiang.”
That letter, which called for an end to mass arbitrary detention, prompted a fierce backlash from China. It accused the signatories of having “wantonly criticised and smeared China in total disregard for the truth” and said that by “blatantly politicising the issue of human rights, they have grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs”.