Brussels: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell welcomed on Thursday a UN report on what it said was a “rigorous review” of evidence suggesting systemic abuse of Muslim minorities in China.
The report released by the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that Uyghurs in the Chinese province of Xinjiang and other predominantly Muslim groups were routinely placed in reeducation camps where they were subjected to torture, rape, forced labour and abortion.
“The EU welcomes the release of the assessment report of human rights concerns in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region… The report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights underscores the serious human rights violations occurring in Xinjiang,” Borrell said .
He quoted the 48-page report as saying that the suspected abuse of Muslim minorities in China might amount to “crimes against humanity.”
“The EU joins the call by UN experts reporting to the Human Rights Council to closely monitor, report, and assess the human rights situation in China,” Borrell added.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told a daily news briefing on Thursday that the damning report was “orchestrated and produced by the US and some Western forces and is completely illegal, null and void.”
A group of 60 Uyghur organizations from 20 countries are calling for an immediate response to put an end to atrocities against Uyghurs, following the release of a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
A groundbreaking United Nations report published on August 31 says the Chinese government has committed abuses that may amount to crimes against humanity targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic communities in the Xinjiang region.
The report by the outgoing UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet contains victim accounts that substantiate mass arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious human rights violations and recommends world to take action to end the abuses.
Munich-based World Uyghur Congress, in a statement, said Uyghurs are calling for seven concrete actions by governments, multilateral bodies, and corporations.
“This UN report is extremely important. It paves the way for meaningful and tangible action by member states, UN bodies, and the business community,” said World Uyghur Congress President Dolkun Isa. “Accountability starts now.”
“This is a game-changer for the international response to the Uyghur crisis,” said Uyghur Human Rights Project Executive Director Omer Kanat. “Despite the Chinese government’s strenuous denials, the UN has now officially recognized that horrific crimes are occurring.” (ANI)
