China humbly rejected calls by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday for “meaningful access” to confirm “serious” studies of human rights violations within the troubled area of Xinjiang, saying her “friendly visit” can be wanted. Welcome to But to not pursue the investigation with “assumption of guilt”.
The US and European Union, amongst a number of different nations, have accused China of committing genocide towards minority Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang and referred to as for a global investigation by human rights teams.
Addressing the forty seventh session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, Bachelet mentioned, “I continue to discuss China’s modalities for the visit, including meaningful access to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and look forward to it. years, especially since there are reports of serious human rights violations.”
China is strongly denying allegations that tens of millions of Uighurs are being held in mass detention camps, formally referred to as schooling camps, to keep off spiritual extremism.
Asked for his response to Bachelet’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian mentioned at a media briefing right here that the remarks made by the pinnacle of the UN’s prime human rights physique on points associated to Xinjiang “contrary to facts”. .
“We welcome the High Commissioner to come back to China to go to Xinjiang. We have lengthy invited the High Commissioner to come back to China to go to Xinjiang and we’re discussing this concern.
“The visit should be a friendly visit aimed at promoting bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and not to pursue a so-called investigation with the presumption of guilt,” Zhao mentioned.
“We strongly oppose any attempt to use this issue to manipulate and put pressure on China,” he mentioned.
Without immediately naming the US and the European Union which were urgent for an investigation into allegations of genocide towards Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang, Zhao mentioned that some nations are “lying” on Xinjiang to defame China and stifle China’s growth. and spreading misinformation”.
“Their efforts are only doomed to fail,” he mentioned.
China accuses the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), based within the Uighur Muslim-majority province of Xinjiang province, of a number of violent assaults in and out of doors the province, together with one in 2013 in Beijing’s Forbidden City. Had gone. .
It sharply criticized the US for eradicating Xinjiang’s separatist terrorist group from its record of terrorist organizations final yr, saying it displays Washington’s “double standards” on combating world terrorism.
Bachelet, in his remarks to the council, additionally sharply criticized China’s actions in Hong Kong after the introduction of a nationwide safety legislation to take management of the previous British colony.
“It has now been a year since the adoption of the National Security Act in the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region), to which my office has expressed serious concern,” she mentioned.
In an obvious reference to the police crackdown on journalists, notably impartial media home Apple Daily, Bachelet mentioned, “We are closely monitoring its application and impact on the civic and democratic space, as well as the independent media. ” Whose editor and different workers needed to face prosecution.
She underlined that since July 1 final yr, 107 individuals have been arrested and 57 formally charged beneath the National Security Act, with the primary case arising for listening to later this week.
“This will be an important test of independence for Hong Kong’s judiciary, which aspires to uphold Hong Kong’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in accordance with the Basic Law,” Bachelet mentioned.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
