By Uyghur Times Staff
August 31, 2024
The U.N.’s top human rights body has released an updated assessment two years after its critical review of China’s human rights practices. Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that a U.N. team visited China in June to engage with authorities, focusing on the country’s criminal justice system and counter-terrorism policies.
The mission specifically aimed to gather more information on the human rights situation in the Uyghur homeland, where China faces accusations of systemic violations against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other majority-Muslim ethnic groups, along with ongoing suppression in Tibet and Hong Kong. Shamdasani noted that “many problematic laws and policies remain in place.”
She emphasized that allegations of human rights abuses, including torture, should be thoroughly investigated and confirmed that the OHCHR will continue to “closely follow the current human rights situation in China” despite restrictions and locals’ fear of government reprisal for interacting with the U.N. “We have called again on the authorities to undertake a full review, from the human rights perspective, of the legal framework governing national security and counter-terrorism and to strengthen the protection of minorities against discrimination,” she added.
In response, Beijing accused the U.N. group of bias. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated, “China always puts the people front and center in all our work, views respecting and protecting human rights as an important part of governance, and has made historic achievements in this aspect.” Lin also claimed that “Xinjiang today enjoys social stability and economic growth, and the people there live a happy life,” urging the OHCHR to respect “countries’ sovereignty” and “facts,” and to avoid being “used by political forces aiming to contain and vilify China.”
Credit: This report includes information originally published by Newsweek.
