
French parliament condemns China’s Uygur treatment as ‘crimes against humanity and genocide’
- The move follows a similar vote in the UK and Holland, which will not send officials to the Winter Olympics because of China’s human rights record
- France’s motion also asked the government to protect Uygur residents in its country against any intimidation or harassment by China
France’s parliament passed an opposition-led motion asking the government to condemn China for “crimes against humanity and genocide” against its Uygur Muslim minority and to take foreign policy measures to make this stop.
The non-binding motion, led by the Socialist party and supported by several other opposition parties, was adopted with 169 votes for and one vote against.
Coming ahead of the start of the Winter Olympics in China, the motion also asked the government to protect Uygur residents in France against any intimidation or harassment by China.
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The UK Parliament made a genocide declaration last April, however, the government has continued to refuse to make such a declaration.
The activists and some Western politicians accuse China of using torture, forced labour and sterilisations.

Following a similar vote in the Dutch parliament, the Chinese embassy in The Hague said any suggestion of a genocide in Xinjiang was an “outright lie” and that the Dutch parliament had “deliberately smeared China and grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs”.
French President Emmanuel Macron said in December that he did not want to “politicise” the Olympics.
The United States, Australia and Britain are among Western nations that have said they will not send officials to the 2022 Winter Olympics to send China a message over its human rights record.
