The much-awaited report regarding the allegations of abuse in the Xinjiang province of China was released by the outgoing UN human rights commissioner, Michelle Bachelet. The UN report accused Chinese government of "serious human rights violations" against Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
Report Released Minutes Before Bachelet's Term Ended
With barely 11-minutes left for her term to end at midnight Geneva time, Bachelet released the report stating that China's human rights violations against Uyghur Muslims may amount to crimes against humanity. The UN report finds "possible forced sterilization" and "credible" allegations of rape and torture.
The 45-page report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated that "allegations of patterns of torture, or ill-treatment, including forced medical treatment and adverse conditions of detention, are credible, as are allegations of individual incidents of sexual and gender-based violence."
Axios reported that the as per the report, serious human rights violations have been committed in [Xinjiang] in the context of the Government's application of counter-terrorism and counter-'extremism' strategies. The report also instructed China to release those still "arbitrarily detained," and provide the whereabouts of those still missing to their loved ones, reported the outlet.
"The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups, pursuant to law and policy, in context of restrictions and deprivation more generally of fundamental rights enjoyed individually and collectively, may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," it concluded.
China Tried to Delay the Report
The Guardian stated that the publication of the report was delayed after the Chinese authorities asked the names and pictures of individuals that had to be blacked out by the UN commissioner's office for privacy and safety reasons, in their last-minute response.
Dubbing the report as anti-China smear, Chinese government stated that the UN report was "based on the disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-China forces" and that it "wantonly smears and slanders" China and interfered in the country's internal affairs.
The outlet reported that in a 121-page counter-report, the Chinese government highlighted the state programme of "de-radicalization" and "vocational education and training centers" which has helped in bringing stability in Xinjiang.
