Human Rights Organizations Raise Concerns Over Xinjiang Situation, Demand Accountability

Munich: Human Rights organisations across the world, including the World Uyghur Congress, expressed concerns in connection to the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang. Renowned human rights organizations such as Amnesty International, World Uyghur Congress, and the International Service for Human Rights have urged Volker Turk, the esteemed United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to come forward and showcase the efforts made by both his office and the Chinese authorities to enhance the state of human rights in Xinjiang.

The human rights organizations also released a series of translations of the report by his office on Xinjiang published in 2022.

It emphasised the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ role and responsibilities in addressing these issues, particularly following the release of a landmark report in August 2022. The report concluded that the actions of the Chinese government in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity.

Despite international calls for action and ongoing advocacy efforts, including the publication of translations of the UN report into multiple languages to broaden awareness, there remains a critical lack of substantive follow-up and accountability from both the High Commissioner’s office and UN member states.

In the press release, the World Uyghur Congress has urged the UN High Commissioner to provide detailed updates on efforts to prevent atrocities and seek accountability, particularly as the second anniversary of the report approaches.

It also underscored the continued human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including arbitrary detention and suppression of Uyghur identity, despite international recommendations and calls for independent investigations. The organizations involved stressed the need for concrete action, including robust international scrutiny and accountability mechanisms, to address the ongoing crisis effectively.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch said, “The publication of the UN human rights office’s report was a landmark moment for highlighting the gravity of human rights violations in Xinjiang.”

Pearson added, “Now it’s up to the UN high commissioner to make full use of that report to improve the situation for Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang.”

China’s actions in Xinjiang have sparked global condemnation for their treatment of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities. Organisations like Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) have published extensive reports based on interviews with survivors, satellite imagery analysis, and other evidence documenting human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

Key accusations include the widespread arbitrary detention of over a million individuals in “re-education camps” without due process, described as part of a coercive effort for ideological control.

The reports of several organisations detail allegations of forced labour under exploitative conditions in industries such as cotton and textiles, drawing comparisons to historical forced labour practices and raising concerns about contemporary human rights abuses.

China has been under fire for allegedly curbing the spiritual and cultural customs unique to Uyghurs and other minority groups. This involves changes to religious customs, modifications to iconic mosques and heritage sites, and drives to promote the use of Mandarin over local languages. It’s believed that Uyghurs and other minority groups face hurdles in their pursuit of unrestricted movement due to enforced travel curbs and stringent residency laws. These actions reportedly create a tension-filled atmosphere with the stated intention of maintaining political stability, as claimed by Chinese officials.