China condemned at UN rights Council, UN General Assembly for severe rights violations

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China justifies its rights violations in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong by claiming support from 90 countries. (Photo courtesy: HKFP)

(TibetanReview.net, Sep27’20) – An umbrella group speaking for hundreds of NGO’s from across the globe and envoys of several democratic countries have on Sep 26 expressed growing concerns over ongoing grave human rights violation in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong and have called for an international mechanism to address the sweeping violations. Addressing the 45th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, they have called for the restoration of the basic legal rights in those regions.

“Recently, a group of 50 UN experts had highlighted China’s mass rights violations in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang by suppression of information and attacks on rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and government critics,” said John Fisher of Human Rights Watch. He called for an international mechanism to address the sweeping violations by China, speaking on behalf of more than 300 NGOs from over 60 countries.

He has pointed out that China had also targeted defenders abroad, suppressed academic freedom, and engaged in internet censorship and digital surveillance.

Speaking as a witness, Abdulukur Abduriit, an Uyghur, has said, “Genocide including sterilisation and organ harvesting is being committed against my people. My family has been held hostage in a Chinese concentration camp. My brother is forced to assemble phone chargers as a slave labourer. Your charger may be among them.”

German envoy Michael Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg, on behalf of the EU, has said, “We also reiterate our call on China to uphold its national and international obligations, and to respect human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, especially in Xinjiang and Tibet.”

He was particularly concerned about the gravity of the situation in Xinjiang, and the ANI Sep 26 quoted him as saying: “On China, the EU continues to be gravely concerned about the existence of a large network of political re-education camps, widespread surveillance, and systemic restrictions on freedom of religion or belief against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.”

Canada’s ambassador Leslie Norton was reported to have voiced similar alarms.

Elsewhere in New York City, EU President Charles Michel has told the 75th United Nations General Assembly Sep 25 that Europe did not share the values on which the political and economic system in China was based, saying, “EU is on the side of the fundamental values of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and cooperation.”

He has said the EU will not stop promoting respect for universal human rights, including those of minorities such as the Uighurs and in Hong Kong, referring to the dehumanization of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and systematic targeting of pro-democracy activists in the former British colony.

“The EU needs to be stronger not only for itself, but to contribute to a better world. Our support for the United Nations remains as strong as ever,” the republicworld.com Sep 26 quoted Charles as saying.

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