GENEVA – In a long-awaited report released Wednesday, the United Nations human rights office accused China of actions that “could constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity,” in the mass detention of Uighurs and other predominantly Muslim groups. the far western region of Xinjiang.
The evaluate, evaluate, evaluate was released just before midnight in Geneva and minutes before Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, was due to leave office.
The release ended a nearly year-long delay that has left Ms Bachelet and her office facing stiff opposition from human rights groups, activists and others who have accused her of to Beijing, which sought to block the report.
The report does not appear to use the word “genocide”, a designation applied by the United States and by an informal court in England last year. But it is often seen as claims by rights groups and credible activists that China has detained Uighurs, Kazakhs and others, often because of foreign ties or because show religious faith.
According to Sophie Richardson, China Human Rights Watch director, the report is “an unprecedented challenge to Beijing’s lies and appalling treatment of Uyghurs. “The high commissioner’s damning findings explain why the Chinese government has fought so closely to prevent the publication of her Xinjiang report, which exposes China’s human rights abuses. Country.”
For Uighur activists, the report’s findings are a powerful testament to their years-long effort to draw attention to the persecution of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Beijing routinely rejects any claims of arbitrary detention and abuse in Xinjiang and accuses Uighur activists of lying. Activists say their families in Xinjiang have been jailed, detained and threatened by authorities in an attempt to silence them.
“It paves the way for tangible and meaningful action by Member States, UN agencies and the business community,” said Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress. “Accountability begins now,” he added.
Tahir Imin, a Uyghur activist in Washington, said that due to months of delays and pressure from Beijing, he was surprised that Bachelet released the report before she left office, and the findings Its is effective.
“I didn’t expect it to come to such a firm conclusion,” he said by phone. “I was a bit emotional when I saw it mentioning crimes against humanity.”
In comments emailed early Thursday local time by the office of the United Nations high commissioner for human rights in Geneva, Ms Bachelet said of the report, “I said I would publish it before the mandate. My service is over and I’ve got it.”
She explained that the delay in publishing was because she “wanted to be most careful to deal with the feedback and input received from the (Chinese) government last week.”
China, which received a copy of the report days before its release, pressured Ms. Bachelet not to publish it. The report is a “farce staged by the United States and a handful of Western powers,” Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said at a regular news conference on Wednesday.
As news of the arrests began to spread, Chinese authorities initially denied the detention campaign, but later said they were teaching basic language and job skills to boost employment. and prevent extremism.
However, former inmates have described physical abuse, mistreatment and hours of teaching about Communist Party ideology. Some of those organized include successful artists, academics, entrepreneurs and other community leaders who don’t need job training.
The report said allegations of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, “appear to be credible and would in itself be tantamount to torture or other forms of ill-treatment.” “.
It also said that “arbitrary and discriminatory detention” of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups “could constitute international crime, particularly crimes against humanity”. . However, the report said the UN agency could not confirm an estimate of the total number of people detained or affected by the system China calls vocational education and training.
Among its recommendations, the UN body called on China to quickly release all those who have been arbitrarily detained, clarify the whereabouts of those who have gone missing and whose family members have sought information about them. them and investigate allegations of abuse within the premises.
As the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Ms. Bachelet has spoken out frequently and candidly about abuses and concerns across continents, including China’s crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong. But when it comes to China’s treatment of dissidents and alleged crimes in Xinjiang, she spoke with extreme caution.
Criticism of Ms. Bachelet increased after she visited China in May and made a short trip to Xinjiang but made a little protest afterwards about the persecution in the regioninstead said that the main outcome of her trip was to foster high-level discussions with Chinese authorities.
Ms. Bachelet’s comments were denounced by Uyghurs abroad and human rights groups that she ignored widespread repression. Her office’s report has been welcomed as a long-overdue admission of abuses China has allegedly committed as part of state policy in the region.
While the report released on Wednesday may help prevent Ms Bachelet from being accused by activists of being derelict in her duties, it will not end the controversy over her dealings with Beijing. .
UN investigators had a report on Xinjiang on Ms. Bachelet’s desk nearly a year ago, but she was accused of repeatedly delaying the publication. At a recent press conference, she admitted that she had made it a priority to reach an agreement with Beijing on the terms of her visit to China.
Ms Bachelet’s farewell speech to the Human Rights Council on Tuesday shed some light on her reasoning. She stressed her belief in the importance of constructive dialogue with countries and the need to do “everything possible to avoid a major rift” in multilateral institutions.
Critics say her approach has largely fallen into Beijing’s hands.
Sarah M. Brooks, program director of Human Rights Services International said: “By releasing this vital report minutes after her mission, she did the bare minimum. . “We must now push her office, her successor and the states to make sure survivors get answers and perpetrators face accountability.”
Ms. Richardson, of Human Rights Watch, called on the United Nations Human Rights Council to begin an investigation into the “crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs and others by the Chinese government – and demanded those responsible person must explain”.
Long delays in the publication of a report can make it more difficult.
Diplomats in Beijing said the late release left little time for governments or human rights groups to formulate a strong response in the Human Rights Council, which will begin its final session next year. 12 days.
Nick Cumming-Bruce reported from Geneva, and Austin Ramzy from Hong Kong. Farnaz Fassihi Contribution reports from New York.
