Respect Uygur rights, 43 countries urge China at United Nations

European and Asian member states among signatories of declaration accusing Beijing of human rights abuses in Xinjiang
Chinese ambassador denounces move as lies and a plot to hurt China

Xinjiang

Agence France-Presse

Published: 6:17pm, 22 Oct 2021

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Forty-three countries have called on China to “ensure full respect for the rule of law” for the Muslim Uygur community in Xinjiang, in a statement read at the United Nations on Thursday that prompted outrage from Beijing.

The declaration, signed by the United States as well as several European and Asian member states and others, accused China of a litany of human rights violations against the Uygurs, including torture, forced sterilisation and forced disappearances.

“We call on China to allow immediate, meaningful and unfettered access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and her office,” the countries said in a joint statement, read at the United Nations by France.

“We are particularly concerned about the situation in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region,” the statement said, citing “credible” reports that “indicate the existence of a large network of ‘political reeducation’ camps where over a million people have been arbitrarily detained”.

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Beijing has long denied accusations of ethnic cleansing against Uygurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic people in Xinjiang, where experts have estimated that more than one million people are incarcerated in camps.

On Thursday, Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Zhang Jun furiously denounced what he termed the “lies” and “a plot to hurt China”.

“Xinjiang enjoys development and the people are emancipating themselves every day and are proud of the progress made,” he said.

Zhang told the media that China was willing to host a “friendly” visit to the region, he did not agree to an inquiry by the UN human rights commissioner.

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He accused Washington, Paris and London of having a “terrible human rights record”.

In a media statement, Beijing accused the US of “inhumane ethnic cleansing” against Native Americans and accused France of committing “crimes against humanity” in its former colonies.

Similar declarations in 2019 and 2020 condemned China for its policies in Xinjiang, where the United States has accused Beijing of carrying out genocide.

China has in response increased pressure on UN member states not to support the declarations, according to diplomats.