See US and Chinese reactions to UN accusation of human rights violations in Xinjiang

September 2, 2022

Robert

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About to step down as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet called the press to a press conference on Wednesday (31) and accused China of potentially committing “serious human rights violations” in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, home of the Uighur Muslim minority.

The 48-page document is the result of a visit by Bachelet in May and represents the first time that a member country of the United Nations Security Council has been the subject of a report by the commissioner.

Bachelet and her team claim to have collected reports of “patterns of torture or ill-treatment, including preventative treatment and adverse conditions of sexual violence, as well as allegations of incidents by individuals of sexual violence”;

The text accuses China of using a vague definition of the word “terrorism” to implement arbitrary arrests against the Muslim minority and restrict their fundamental individual rights, which could be interpreted in international courts as crimes against humanity;

Also according to the UN, Chinese government policies in the region have caused the separation of families through intimidation and threats. China has also been accused of extending these measures beyond its borders, persecuting expatriate Uighurs and their relatives.

Beijing, which for months had been preparing the ground and rallying international support to deal with the negative fallout from the report when it was published, reacted with fury.

A spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the UN, Liu Yuyin called the text a “pure farce” and a “politicized document”. Liu accused the commission of using “disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-China forces as their main sources”;

China also accused the team of “maliciously distorting local laws and policies” in combating terrorism, as well as reproducing “deep-rooted prejudices and ignorance” about the country’s history.

Bachelet and her team claim to have collected reports of “patterns of torture or ill-treatment, including preventative treatment and adverse conditions of sexual violence, as well as allegations of incidents by individuals of sexual violence”;

The text accuses China of using a vague definition of the word “terrorism” to implement arbitrary arrests against the Muslim minority and restrict their fundamental individual rights, which could be interpreted in international courts as crimes against humanity;

Also according to the UN, Chinese government policies in the region have caused the separation of families through intimidation and threats. China has also been accused of extending these measures beyond its borders, persecuting expatriate Uighurs and their relatives.

Beijing, which for months had been preparing the ground and rallying international support to deal with the negative fallout from the report when it was published, reacted with fury.

A spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the UN, Liu Yuyin called the text a “pure farce” and a “politicized document”. Liu accused the commission of using “disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-China forces as their main sources”;

The United States also reacted quickly to the text, saying that it corroborates the “concerns about the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity that the authorities of the government of the People’s Republic of China are perpetrating against the Uighurs”, in the words of the Secretary of State. , Antony Blinken.

He vowed to continue to “hold China accountable” and demand that the country “unfairly release detainees, account for the missing and allow unrestricted access for independent investigators to Xinjiang, Tibet and other regions of the People’s Republic.”

why it matters: I already explained it on my blog at Sheet how the Chinese government’s offensive to the Xinjiang region began. In short, the policies that Beijing calls “re-education” and some Western countries “cultural genocide” is a response to decades of separatist activities and terrorism.

The UN accusations, however, are robust and point to systemic violations incompatible with simple counterterrorism activities. Anyone born after 2001 can certainly accuse the United States of being no moral role model in its treatment of Muslims, but the report will certainly provide ammunition for the anti-China rhetoric that Washington has been promoting in an attempt to achieve cohesion among historic allies.

what also matters

Chengdu, southwest China, was placed on lockdown to contain Covid transmission after diagnosis of 900 cases of the disease in ten days.

Known as the “panda capital of the world”, Chengdu has become the largest city in China to announce a total lockdown since Shanghai earlier this year. Although it does not have the same economic weight as the coastal metropolis, the city is responsible for 1.7% of Chinese GDP and is home to several important companies such as the automaker Volvo and Foxconn (responsible for manufacturing Apple products).

All 21 million residents will be tested over the next four days, but officials avoid promising when the city will reopen.

China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs revealed that 7.6 million marriages were celebrated in the country in 2021, the lowest number in 35 years.

According to the tabloid Global Times, linked to the state-run People’s Daily, the figure also represents a drop of 6.1% compared to last year. Between 2013 and 2019, the cumulative drop is an impressive 41% (from 23.8 million marriages to 13.9 million).

The statistic adds to the government’s fears about the likely population drop, with the number of births falling year on year.

keep an eye

Despite domestic protests and statements to the contrary from China, South Korea decided to continue with the development of its missile defense base. Technically known by the acronym THAAD, the system was given by the Americans during the Trump administration with the excuse of defending itself from possible attacks from North Korea.

The idea is to build a facility with more than 700,000 square meters in Seongju, southwest of the country. Residents in the area have blocked supplies for the work, fearing environmental repercussions and putting the county’s safety at risk.

why does it matter: When the installation of THAAD was announced by Korea, China immediately protested as it felt that the system could be easily reconfigured from its original defense function to spying on its territory.

China retaliated by restricting group tours from the country to South Korea, sanctioning operations of supermarket chain Lotte (which ceded land to THAAD), and even banning K-pop groups from performing on Chinese soil;

With the arrival of Yoon Suk-yeol to the South Korean presidency in May, however, the country took a turn from the previously conciliatory policy of predecessor Moon Jae-in and assumed an openly anti-China tone. THAAD has everything to become the main point of conflict between the two countries from now on.

to go deep

Sixth Tone published a controversial report this week that shows how the boom in the Chinese pet market has subjected millions of animals to cruel treatment in a scenario full of illegalities. (free, in english)
The Brazil-China Business Council released the updated report on Chinese investments in Brazil. The survey was made available in full here. (free, in portuguese)
Registrations for the meeting of the Brazilian Network for China Studies are still open here. The event takes place between the 19th and 22nd of September and will feature researchers from CEBRI, Unicamp, Unesp, PUC Minas and others. (free, in portuguese)