Amid human rights concerns, Western countries urge China to release detained Uighurs, Tibetans

A coalition of Western countries has called on China to free all arbitrarily detained Uyghur Muslims and Tibetans and to allow independent human rights observers access to the areas for assessment.

“Transparency and openness are essential to reduce concerns,” James Larson, the Australian ambassador to the United Nations, said during the UN General Assembly session. “We call on China to allow independent observers, including the United Nations, unrestricted and meaningful access to Xinjiang and Tibet to evaluate the human rights situation.”

According to a report by Voice of America, he/she made this statement on behalf of 15 countries including the United States, Canada, Germany and Japan.

Xinjiang is an autonomous region in northwestern China that is home to minority Uyghur and Turkic-speaking populations. Human rights organizations have accused Beijing of detaining up to one million ethnic Uyghur Muslims in “re-education camps”. Additionally, the Chinese government has imposed strict restrictions on freedom in Tibet.

Ambassador Larsen also cited reports from multiple UN human rights experts expressing concern about widespread arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, forced labor and the destruction of religious and cultural sites in Xinjiang, VOA reports. .

“China has many opportunities to meaningfully address the legitimate concerns of the United Nations. “Instead, during its universal periodic review in July, China rejected the assessment of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as ‘illegal and void,’” he/she said.

Larson further described how Tibetans have been targeted by Beijing for their peaceful political expression, which has led to the degradation of their language, culture, education and religious rights, as well as restrictions on their freedom of travel.

“No country has a perfect human rights record, but no country is beyond impartial scrutiny of its human rights obligations,” he/she said.

In response, China’s envoy rejected the allegations and claimed the Western alliance was “weaponizing” human rights to instigate conflict.

“The so-called assessment report on Xinjiang is full of lies and deception,” Ambassador Fu said. “This is simply the result of pressure on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights by the United States and some others.”

According to VOA, he/she claimed, “This is Australia once again using human rights as a pretext to interfere in China’s internal affairs and undermine its development, as well as to suppress developing countries that follow independently.” And exposes America’s true intentions.” and autonomous foreign policy.”

The United States and several other countries have described China’s actions in Xinjiang as genocide, a charge Beijing denies.