By Conall Corrigan / GICJ
On the 31st of August the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, released the findings of her office’s assessment of human rights abuses perpetrated against Uyghurs and other predominately Muslim communities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) minutes before the end of her 4-year term in office. In her report, Ms Bachelet noted that the Chinese government’s actions in the region including the arbitrary detention of Uyghur Muslims, involuntary disappearances, and the widespread use of torture, were tantamount to “serious human rights violations”.
Since at least 2017, abuses suffered by Muslims in XUAR have escalated drastically, with up to 1.5 million being detained in so-called “Vocational Education and Training Centres”. The use of said centres and the widespread oppression of Uyghurs have proliferated in recent years due to the Chinese government's supposed concerns about terrorism and Islamist extremism. The High Commissioner notes that the impetus for investigating the state’s practices in XUAR stems from a rise in allegations brought forward by numerous civil society groups claiming Uyghurs have been actively discriminated against in the name of national security. The report stresses that China is subject to a number of international human rights law treaties including the Convention Against Torture and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination as well as jus cogens norms which include prohibitions on the commission of international crimes such as crimes against humanity. In light of this, the report calls on the Chinese government to ensure accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and redress for victims. Moreover, the High Commissioner emphasised that the human rights situation in XUAR requires the urgent attention of the UN as well as the broader international community.
The World Uyghur Congress and other international NGOs welcomed the report and commended the UN for acknowledging human rights violations committed against Muslims in Xinjiang. In response to the allegations outlined in the High Commissioner’s assessment, China claimed that these findings were “based on the disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-China forces”.
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) commends the High Commissioner for releasing her long-awaited report on the mistreatment of Muslim communities within XUAR. Given the severity of the abuses committed against Uyghurs in the region, there is an increasing need for states to make a coordinated effort to ensure the Chinese government are held accountable for its actions. Furthermore, states should evaluate their engagement with China as a genuine counterpart in counterterrorism efforts and take measures to challenge the Chinese government's narrative that its actions in the XUAR are designed to counter terrorist and extremist threats. These measures should be adopted in a collective effort by the international community to hold China accountable for its rights violations and mechanisms should be implemented to guarantee reparations for victims and survivors.
Human Rights, United Nations, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Centre For Justice, Justice, Uyghurs, Xinjiang, International human rights law, China
