China slammed a report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on the human rights situation in its Xinjiang province, accusing it to be “disinformation” and “orchestrated” by the West.
During his regular press conference on Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the UN’s assessment had “zero-credibility” and was “orchestrated” by “some anti-China forces” such as the US and other Western nations. He added that the report was “a patchwork of disinformation” that the West was using as “a political tool” in order to “strategically use Xinjiang to contain China.”
Wang added that the assessment “seriously violates the mandate” of the OHCHR as well as “the principles of universality, objectivity, non-selectivity and non-politicisation.” The Chinese spokesperson argued that the OHCHR had been “reduced to an enforcer and accomplice of the US…in forcing the developing countries to fall into line with them.” He further noted that the fact that the report “did not go so far as to play up false allegations such as “genocide”, “forced labour”, “religious oppression” and “forced sterilisation” shows that the lies of the century concocted by the US and some Western forces have already collapsed.”
The OHCHR’s so-called assessment on Xinjiang is orchestrated and produced by the US and some Western forces. It is completely illegal, null and void. pic.twitter.com/rbsvxG64aT
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) September 1, 2022
He declared that the people of Xinjiang are “in the best position to tell the world what the human rights conditions are like” in the province, asserting that contrary to the claims made in the report, “Xinjiang has enjoyed sustained economic growth, social harmony and stability, better living standards, cultures thriving like never before, and freedom of religious beliefs and religious harmony.”
Wang remarked that Xinjiang residents, including “people from ethnic minorities, religious figures, workers, and those who graduated from the vocational and education training centers… have voluntarily written to the High Commissioner for Human Rights about their own experience to present the real Xinjiang.” To this end, the spokesperson declared that the report was “unjust, pernicious political agenda” that “will not have people’s support and will only end in failure.”
Opposition from China comes after the OHCHR on Wednesday released its long-awaited report on the condition of human rights in Xinjiang. Addressing allegations of forced labour in the region, the report said the body found indications that what Beijing describes as vocational training “appear to be discriminatory in nature or effect”. The report added that these training centres were “marked by patterns of torture or other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” It called on the government to take “urgent action,” noting that the “arbitrary and discriminatory detention” of Uyghurs could constitute crimes against humanity.
The long-awaited UN report is released. Report mentioned that China may have committed “crimes against humanity” in its mass detention of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) September 1, 2022
Not a single Islamic nation signed a letter against Oppression of Muslims in China in 2019.
Will OIC still keep mum? pic.twitter.com/ALRB6IS1B3
“Patterns of intimidations, threats and reprisals were consistently highlighted by interviewees. Two-thirds of the interviewees with whom OHCHR spoke asserted having been victims of some form of intimidation or reprisal,” it reported. It added that “These patterns of intimidations, threats and reprisals are generally credible and are likely to have caused, and continue to cause, a serious chilling effect on these communities’ rights to freedom of expression, privacy, physical integrity and family life.”
Keeping this in mind, the UN body said “serious human rights violations” had been committed in the region under the pretext of counterterrorism. “The implementation of these strategies, and associated policies in [Xinjiang] has led to interlocking patterns of severe and undue restrictions on a wide range of human rights. These patterns of restrictions are characterized by a discriminatory component, as the underlying acts often directly or indirectly affect Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim communities,” the report asserted.
China had been secretly lobbying against the publication of the highly anticipated report, which came three months after now-former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet made a six-day official trip to China that included a visit to Xinjiang. Bachelet’s visit was conducted in a “closed loop,” which prevented her from holding any spontaneous in-person meetings with anyone who was not pre-verified by the Chinese government. Both sides also agreed to prohibit media officials from the delegation. Nonetheless, she released the report before completing her term at the end of August.
China’s permanent mission to the UN in Geneva lodged an official protest following the release of the report, claiming that during her visit, Bachelet had “thorough exchanges with people from all walks of life in Xinjiang, and visited all places she wanted to visit.” It went on to say that Bachelet has also also “met with journalists in Guangzhou at the end of her visit” in order to fully understand the situation in the region. “Regrettably, the content and conclusion of this so-called “assessment” is entirely contradictory to the formal statement issued by Madam High Commissioner,” it said.
China firmly opposes the release of the so-called “assessment” on Xinjiang, which is nothing but a farce plotted by some Western countries and anti-China forces. https://t.co/IJPmyO2Nyk pic.twitter.com/7Bh5aTzZ2M
— China Mission Geneva (@ChinaMissionGva) September 1, 2022
It noted that the report “smears and slanders China, and interferes in its internal affairs.” Furthermore, it underscored that the government places great importance on “equality, unity, [and] religious ethnic autonomy,” wherein all ethnic groups, including the Uyghurs, are “equal members.”
Reiterating its earlier claims, it said that its operations in Xinjiang are designed to “fight terrorism and extremism in accordance with the law” and that the residents of Xinjiang are benefiting from this with “social stability, economic development, cultural prosperity, and religious harmony,” living their lives in “peace and contentment.”
In an over 100-page document, it asserts that terrorist and extremist activities are “rampant” in the Western province, whose residents have “suffered greatly.” To this end, it claims that China has a “clearly-defined legal and policy framework” on counterterrorism and de-radicalisation. Furthermore, it argues that all vocational, educational, and training centres in Xinjiang operate fully within the scope of domestic and international law, refuting claims by rights groups and media that they are concentration camps.
It also dismissed claims about disproportionate surveillance, saying the installation of CCTV cameras is “consistent with established international practices.”