The United States Department of State expressed its ongoing concern and disappointment on Friday, marking the second anniversary of a United Nations report on human rights in Xinjiang. The Department called on China to take immediate action to end the repression of Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups.
The 2022 report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded that “serious human rights violations” had been committed in the Xinjiang region.
In a statement shared on social media, Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the United States Department of State, emphasized, “Two years since the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights released an assessment on human rights violations in Xinjiang, the United States continues to urge the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to take immediate action and end the ongoing repression of Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups.”
The United States Department of State, in its press release, expressed disappointment that, after two years, the People’s Republic of China continues to reject the findings of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and refuses to implement the High Commissioner’s recommendations. These recommendations include the release of all individuals arbitrarily detained, the cessation of all forms of intimidation and reprisals against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang and abroad, and the investigation of allegations of human rights abuses, including torture, sexual violence, forced labor, and forced medical treatment.
The United States remains gravely concerned by the People’s Republic of China’s ongoing repression of predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang, which the High Commissioner’s assessment noted “may constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity.” The United States Department of State reiterated its call for the People’s Republic of China to take immediate action to end these ongoing atrocities.
In a related development, Human Rights Watch, an international human rights organization, issued a statement the previous day condemning the Chinese government for its continued human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The organization claims that Chinese authorities have persistently committed human rights violations against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in the region.
Maya Wang, associate director for China at Human Rights Watch, commented on the situation, stating, “Beijing’s brazen refusal to meaningfully address well-documented crimes in Xinjiang is no surprise, but it underscores the need for a robust follow-up by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and United Nations member states. Contrary to the Chinese government’s claims, its punitive campaign against millions of Uyghurs in Xinjiang continues to inflict great pain.”
Thousands of Muslim minorities in Xinjiang remain wrongfully imprisoned, with their relatives, both within China and abroad, having little to no contact with them. Many families live in uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones, some of whom have been detained, imprisoned, or forcibly disappeared.
