China possibly committed ‘genocide’ against Xinjiang Uygurs, says US commission
- The Congressional-Executive Commission on China also accused China of harassing Uygurs in the US
- The CECC co-chair urges Congress and the incoming Biden administration to hold Beijing accountable for human rights abuses
China has possibly committed “genocide” in its treatment of Uygurs and other minority Muslims in its western region of Xinjiang, a bipartisan commission of the US Congress said in a report released on Thursday.
The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) said new evidence had emerged in the past year that “crimes against humanity – and possibly genocide – are occurring”. The CECC also accused China of harassing Uygurs in the United States.
China has been widely condemned for setting up complexes in Xinjiang that it describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and give people new skills and which others have called concentration camps.
The United Nations says at least 1 million Uygurs and other Muslims have been detained in Xinjiang. Faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place there.
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Beijing denies the accusations and on Thursday its Washington embassy said the CECC was “obsessed with making up all sorts of lies to vilify China”.