Fifty United Nations member countries today issued a joint statement that condemned the Chinese government’s persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang. It was the largest group of states to publicly denounce Beijing’s human rights violations in Xinjiang, which the UN’s human rights office determined may amount to crimes against humanity.
The statement urges the Chinese government to implement the recommendations of the groundbreaking August 31 report by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). “This includes taking prompt steps to release all individuals arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in Xinjiang, and to urgently clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing family members and facilitate safe contact and reunion,” the statement reads.
Human Rights Watch is urging council members to attempt again at the earliest possible date to discuss and consider options for establishing a UN-backed mechanism to investigate further the Chinese government’s responsibility for human rights violations.
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