By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, March 6: U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk urged China to implement recommendations to amend laws that violate fundamental rights, particularly in the East Turkistan (Ch: Xinjiang) and Tibet, during a session in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday.
Rights groups have accused Beijing of widespread abuses against Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority numbering around 10 million in East Turkistan (Ch: Xinjiang) which CCP troops occupied in 1949. Allegations include the mass use of forced labour in camps, which Beijing vehemently denies despite overwhelming proof.
A report released in August 2022 by former U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, just before the end of her mandate, suggested that China’s detention of Uyghurs and other Muslims might constitute crimes against humanity.
“I also call on the government to implement the recommendations made by my office and other human rights bodies in relation to laws, policies, and practices that violate fundamental rights, including in the East Turkistan (Ch: Xinjiang) and Tibet regions,” Turk told the U.N. Human Rights Council.
China took control of Tibet in 1950, asserting it as a “peaceful liberation” from feudalistic serfdom. However, independent international human rights groups and exiles have consistently criticized the oppressive rule in Tibet that continues till date.
In addition to urging dialogue with Beijing, Turk also called for the release of human rights defenders, lawyers, and individuals detained under charges of “picking quarrels and making trouble”.
During his address, Türk expressed his office’s anticipation for engaging with China regarding the plans it recently announced during its Universal Periodic Review. These plans include the adoption of 30 new measures aimed at enhancing human rights protection, which encompasses amendments to the criminal law and revisions of the Criminal Procedure law.
China underwent its Universal Periodic Review, a comprehensive assessment of its human rights record, at the Human Rights Council in January. During this review, Chinese government officials defended Beijing’s policies in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), while the U.S. representative to the United Nations denounced the country’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in the region.
Over the years, Western nations and human rights groups have criticized the Chinese government for its policies undermining the religious, cultural, and linguistic rights of Tibetans. Furthermore, there has been condemnation for the brutal treatment of dissidents and the imposition of harsh national security laws in Hong Kong.
