GENEVA/BERLIN (Reuters) – The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday rejected a Western request for a debate on China’s alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang.
In doing so, observers say Beijing has won a victory in its attempt to avoid further investigation. The Human Rights Council voted 19 against, 17 in favor and 11 abstentions on a request from several western countries such as the US that the treatment of the Muslim minority be re-examined. It is only the second time in the Council’s 16-year history that such a request has been rejected.
Qatar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan rejected the request – Pakistan saying there was a risk of angering China. China’s envoy warned ahead of the vote that the proposal would set a precedent for human rights reviews in other countries. “Today, China is the target. Tomorrow, every other developing country will be targeted,” said Chen Xu.
“This is a disaster. This is really disappointing,” said Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, whose mother died in a camp and whose two brothers are missing. The Federal Foreign Office spoke on Twitter of a black day for human rights. “Human rights apply universally. We will continue to stand up for the people of Xinjiang and their rights.”
On August 31, the UN Human Rights Office published a long-delayed report that found serious human rights violations in Xinjiang. Western governments have also accused Beijing of abusing Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million people in the western region. This should also include the massive use of forced labor in internment camps. The US has accused China of genocide. Beijing vehemently denies any abuse.
(Report by Emma Farge, written by Andreas Rinke; edited by Scot W. Stevenson; If you have any questions, please contact our editorial team at [email protected] (for politics and the economy) or [email protected] ( for companies and markets).)