Uighurs and Muslim organizations in the United Kingdom gather opposite the Chinese embassy in London to protest against the Chinese government’s involvement in ongoing human rights abuses against Uyghurs. Uighurs and other minorities on July 31, 2022.
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The United Nations Human Rights Council on Thursday voted to reject a Western-led proposal to hold a debate over China’s allegations of human rights abuses against Uighurs and other ethnic minorities. Other Muslims in Xinjiang in a victory for Beijing as they seek to avoid closer scrutiny.
The defeat – 19 against, 17 in favor, 11 abstained – was only the second time in the council’s 16-year history that a proposal was rejected and seen by observers as a setback to the entire resolution effort. Western ethics body on human rights. and the credibility of the United Nations itself.
The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom were among the countries that made the move.
“This is a disaster. This is really disappointing,” said Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, whose mother died in the camp and two brothers missing.
“We will never give up but we are really disappointed by the response of Muslim countries,” he added.
Qatar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan rejected the offer, citing the latter as the risk of alienating China. Phil Lynch, director of International Human Rights Services, called the voting record “disgraceful” on Twitter.
“The issues related to Xinjiang are not human rights issues at all, but issues of counter-terrorism, anti-radicalization and anti-separatism,” China’s foreign ministry said late in the day. Thursday.
The State Department said in a post on its official website that it was an attempt by the United States and some Western countries to “use the United Nations human rights agency to interfere in the internal affairs of the United Nations.” China”.
New goal ‘tomorrow’
China’s special envoy warned before the vote that the move would set a precedent for examining other countries’ human rights records.
“Today is China’s target. Tomorrow any other developing country will be targeted,” said Chen Xu, adding that a debate would lead to “new confrontations”.
United Nations rights office on August 31 release a long-delayed report discovered that serious human rights violations in Xinjiang could constitute crimes against humanity, putting increased pressure on China.
Human rights groups accuse Beijing of mistreatment of the Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority of about 10 million people in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labor in detention camps. The United States has accused China of genocide. Beijing firmly denies any abuse.
‘A lot of pressure’
This is the first time that the rights record of China, a powerful permanent member of the Security Council, has been placed on the council’s agenda. The item has been divisive and one diplomat said countries have come under “huge pressure” from Beijing to support China.
Countries such as the UK, US and Germany, vowed to continue moving towards accountability despite Thursday’s results.
However, activists say the failure of such a limited movement, which has stopped short of seeking an investigation, will make it difficult to get it back on the agenda.
Universal Rights Group’s Marc Limon said it was a “serious miscalculation”, citing the timing to coincide with a Western-led proposal action on Russia.
“It’s a serious blow to the credibility of the council and a clear win for China,” he said. “Many developing countries will see it as an adjustment away from Western dominance in the UN human rights system.”
The event has raised a political dilemma for many of the poor countries on the 47-member council, who are reluctant to openly challenge China for fear of jeopardizing investment.
