Ambassador for China: The UN report on Xinjiang “locked the door of cooperation”
Following the publication of a long-awaited report on alleged human rights violations in the far western province of Xinjiang, China’s envoy to the UN in Geneva stated on Friday that Beijing will not collaborate with the UN human rights office.
The report asserts that “serious human rights violations have been committed” in China and claims that the detention of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang may amount to crimes against humanity. China had attempted to bury the report.
By publishing the “so-called assessment,” the office “locked the door to cooperation,” Ambassador Chen Xu told reporters, branding the document “illegal and void.” China vehemently rejects any wrongdoing in Xinjiang.
The report was made public after Michelle Bachelet’s visit to the nation in May, just minutes before her four-year stint as High Commissioner came to an end.
It suggests taking immediate action to free everyone who is being held in jails, training institutions, or other detention facilities. As agreed upon by Bachelet and Beijing at the conclusion of her tour, it also envisions continuous interaction between the UN rights office and Beijing, including additional meetings and follow-up visits.
Ambassador for China: The UN report on Xinjiang “locked the door of cooperation”
Because of the publication of the paper, Chen told reporters that the entire collection of concepts had been shelved. “You cannot harm us while enjoying our collaboration in the interim.”
The Human Rights Council’s upcoming meeting is scheduled to include discussion of the China report. In that session, Chen declared that he would “firmly oppose” any measures taken against China.
Bachelet had previously come under fire from certain rights groups for being too soft on China, but the frank report restored some of Bachelet’s reputation. View More
Chen asserted that he believed Bachelet did not agree with the report’s findings given the apparent shifts in her position.
If I understand her well, she may not agree with the findings, which is why it was just now made public, he claimed.
In the interim, Volker Turk, an Austrian who was appointed on Thursday, is managing the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva.
The Chinese ambassador’s comments were not immediately addressed by an OHCHR official.
