The United Nations on Wednesday accused China’s treatment towards Uyghur Muslims as actions that “may constitute international crimes, in particular, crime against humanity” in its Xinjiang region for mass detention of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities, reported news agency ANI.
A report on the same was released on August 31 in Geneva, minutes before UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet was set to leave the office, as per the news agency. She had come under scanner for repeatedly postponing the report’s release with little explanation — baffling diplomats and human rights advocates.
The spokesperson of Bachelet, in December had announced plans to publish the report within weeks, but it failed to appear, reinforcing perceptions of UN leadership’s reluctance to stand up to China.
“The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity,” the report stated.
The report also stated that allegations of sexual abuse and gender-based violence including rape “appear credible and would in themselves amount to acts of torture or other forms of ill-treatment.”
Experts of UN Human Rights have raised serious concerns over alleged detention and forced labour of Uyghur Muslims in China and have called for unhindered access to the east Asian country for conducting fact-finding missions and urging global and domestic companies to closely scrutinise their supply chains.
Experts have raised concern over the plight of Uyghur Muslims and the support for the cause has found expression through calls to boycott Chinese products that are manufactured in Xinjiang.
Even in the face of mounting evidences, Beijing has denied all evidences and terms the claims as western propaganda.