The UN said today, after a lengthy independent investigation, that it concluded: China has been able to commit crimes against humanity against the Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities.by implementing policies that lead to mass arbitrary detentions and other serious abuses against them.
In a historic position statement against China, released just minutes before midnight (local time) when UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet’s term ends, her body confirmed the approval of anti-terrorism legislation. this led to the “massive deprivation of liberty” of minorities.at least between 2017 and 2019. The pattern seems to have changed since then, and the size and number of detention centers, which the government calls “vocational training centres,” have shrunk in size and number, but arrests continue to occur through criminal processes. led to the incarceration of mostly Uyghurs.
To this end, the Chinese Government continues to use the same argument: combating terrorism and extremism, where for decades official policy has defined resident Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, one of China’s five autonomous regions, as having a large stretch of territory. and this is his access to Central Asia.
types of abuse
The High Commissioner for Human Rights claims that he finds the accusations in the detention centers credible. they were implemented torture, which in some cases included forced medical treatment, but admits that he cannot draw firm conclusions about the extent of these violations. The attitude of the central government towards the Uyghurs is based on the following principles: their perception of being a threatled to the restriction of their freedoms and rights. These include the right to freedom of religion, expression, movement and privacy. In fact, “there are serious indications that reproductive rights have been violated” forced implementation of family planning programs and birth control.
Beijing’s policies against this and other minorities such as Kazakhs include separation of families and cutting off contact with other people.
direct references
Despite challenges and China’s failure to authorize UN human rights experts to visit the area directly to gather information, Bachelet’s Office was able to interview people detained in detention centers, who explained that their ordeal began with an initial detention. Police station. There, many reported being interrogated before being sent to detention centers. without access to a legal defense or a way to oppose their transfer.
“None of the people we interviewed said they were able to leave the premises or visit their homes,” with quarantine periods ranging from 2 to 18 months. In no case were they informed of how long they would stay in these places guarded by armed personnel. All were warned to speak well of the center when they went out and to avoid revealing about its true nature. According to the report, this was possible because China’s anti-terrorism legislation is vague and broad in concept, allowing authorities to interpret it at their own discretion.
Calculation of the affected population
In this investigation, the UN does not provide concrete figures on the number of people who have come to these camps in recent years. one million people they were hospitalized. However, analysis of different sources of information, including official sources, allows him to calculate that between 10 and 20 percent of the adult population belonging to an ethnic minority residing in various counties and towns of Xinjiang may have been detained between 2017 and 2018. .
The reasons for such a fate were as extensive as it was absurd: having many children, being born in certain years, being in prison, wearing a veil or beard, applying for a passport and not leaving the country, having traveled abroad or downloaded the WhatsApp messaging app.
Xinjiang has been a clear Muslim-majority Chinese region for decades, although the demographic balance has recently changed with incentives for Han ethnic (majority) Chinese to live there. According to the 2021 report of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, 21% of all recorded arrests in China took place in Xinjiangdespite having less than 2% of the national population.
As a result, Bachelet’s Office is demanding the release of all those arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, the clarification of the whereabouts of those wanted by their families, a complete review of anti-terrorism legislation and a reconsideration of cases. The demolition of Muslim mosques and cemeteries should be investigated.
After working on the report for more than a year, Bachelet’s Office delayed its publication until today after China invited the High Commissioner to visit the country last May, resulting in a limited mandate due to pandemic restrictions.