UN and Human Rights Watch Criticize China’s Actions in Xinjiang
Human Rights Watch (HRW), an international human rights organization, has criticized the Chinese government for ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The statement was made on the second anniversary of a United Nations report from August 2022 that condemned these actions.
HRW’s Concerns
Maya Wang, the associate China director at HRW, stated, “Beijing’s brazen refusal to meaningfully address well-documented crimes in Xinjiang is no surprise, but shows the need for a robust follow-up by the UN human rights chief and UN member states.” She highlighted that the Chinese government’s campaign against millions of Uyghurs continues to cause great suffering.
HRW claims that for over two years, China has ignored calls to end severe repression in Xinjiang, which includes mass detention, torture, enforced disappearances, surveillance, cultural and religious persecution, family separations, forced labor, sexual violence, and violations of reproductive rights. Thousands of Muslim minorities remain wrongfully imprisoned, with their families often unaware of their status or whereabouts.
UN’s Response
On August 27, 2024, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, acknowledged that many problematic laws and policies remain in place in Xinjiang. He reported that his office continues to press Chinese authorities to release those in arbitrary detention and clarify the status of the missing. Turk also mentioned that his office is advocating for the implementation of its recommendations, despite China’s rejection of the 2022 report’s findings.
Turk emphasized the need for the UN Human Rights Office to update the current situation in Xinjiang and present a concrete action plan to hold those responsible accountable.
Doubts Revealed
UN -: The UN stands for the United Nations. It is an international organization where countries come together to discuss and solve global issues like peace, security, and human rights.
Human Rights Watch -: Human Rights Watch is a group that looks out for people’s rights all over the world. They make sure that everyone is treated fairly and speak out when they see something wrong.
China’s Actions in Xinjiang -: Xinjiang is a region in China where many Uyghur people live. There have been reports that the Chinese government is treating these people very badly, which is why groups like the UN and Human Rights Watch are concerned.
Uyghurs -: Uyghurs are a group of people who mostly live in Xinjiang, China. They have their own language and culture, and many of them are Muslims.
Turkic Muslims -: Turkic Muslims are people who follow Islam and speak languages related to Turkish. Uyghurs are one of these groups.
Maya Wang -: Maya Wang is a person who works for Human Rights Watch. She talks about the problems people face and tries to get help for them.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights -: The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights is a person who works for the United Nations to make sure everyone in the world is treated fairly and with respect.
Volker Turk -: Volker Turk is the current UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. He works to protect people’s rights around the world.
Detainees -: Detainees are people who have been taken and kept somewhere, usually by the government or police. In this case, it refers to Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims held by the Chinese government.
International pressure -: International pressure means that many countries and organizations around the world are asking China to stop treating the Uyghurs badly and to follow human rights rules.