August 31, 2022
Cited article by UN News
HRRC condemns the Chinese Government for the grave human rights violations committed against the Uyghur population and Muslim communities. The UN report is a critical component in determining and clarifying the degree of which these crimes against humanity are committed. However, significantly more work will be required to understand the severity, as well as correct the ongoing violent discrimination and genocide taking place.
Article Summary
The UN has released its assessment on Xinjiang, China. The UN visit and investigation in Xinjiang was due to allegations of human rights abuses against Uyghurs and predominantly-Muslim communities. The report is "based on a rigorous review of documentary material currently available to the Office, with its credibility assessed in accordance with standard human rights methodology". Particular attention was given to China's laws, policies, data, and statements. The assessment states the violations took place within the context of the Chinese Government claiming they were targeting terrorists within the Uyghur minority, along with wider anti-extremism efforts.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) concluded that the Governments' actions in Xinjiang recently "led to interlocking patterns of severe and undue restrictions on a wide range of human rights". The report continues to discuss the systems of arbitrary detention and abuses since 2017 which "come against the backdrop of broader discrimination".
Ultimately, the assessment found that violations of international law and standards took place in the form of violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The actions by China's Government haven't stopped at the borders,; families have been separated and contact has been severed. The OHCHR declared that the Chinese Government "holds the primary duty to ensure that all laws and policies are brought into compliance with international human rights law and to promptly investigate any allegations of human rights violations, to ensure accountability for perpetrators, and to provide redress to victims." A full list of recommendations is listed in the linked article above.
Notably China has denounced the report as groundless and that there has been no violations of rights.