All Ethnic Groups are Apparently Living “Happily” in China.

All Ethnic Groups are Apparently Living “Happily” in China.
Photo by via Achisatha Khamsuwan via Unsplash

24-03-2022

 

Myriam Whaibe 

 

China and Human Rights Researcher

 

Global Human Rights Defence




        Beijing has denied, one more time, the worldwide accusations of crimes against humanity based on ethnicity happening in the country. 

         According to a Beijing official,  “All ethnic groups in Xinjiang are living happily”. The statement happened ahead of May’s visit by the United Nations human rights chief.

This is not Beijing’s first time denying all the accusations of violations and abuses in the region, including the accusations of detention of around a million Muslim Uygurs, that they classify as “reeducation camps” where forced labor is being applied. 

            China has been defending its policies in the region, saying its goal is to combat terrorism, religious extremism and provide vocational training.

         But the International Labour Organization stated that the authorities violated various articles of the Employment Policy Convention of 1964, which Beijing ratified in 1997, like the right to freely choose employment.

        The Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations who went to see the situation on the ground and presented a report to the International Trade Union Confederation demonstrated that China is applying forced labor on Uyghur and other Turkic and Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

        Violations of Freedom of expression and beliefs in particular and human rights, in general, are being justified by Beijing on the ground of  “poverty alleviation”, “vocational training”, “reeducation through labor” and “de-extremification”. 

        Physical and psychological torture, unbearable working hours, discrimination and prison labor, are all being categorized as “re-educational labor”. Forcing the “employers” to attend Mandarin and history classes in order to erase their beliefs and convictions and prevent them from having personal freedom and independence. 

           The UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet is going to visit Xinjiang in May after a recent agreement with Beijing.“I am pleased to announce that we have recently reached an agreement with the government of China for a visit,” Bachelet said in a video address to the UN’s Human Rights Council, adding that the trip is expected to take place in May.

“The government has also accepted the visit of an advanced [Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights] team to prepare [for] my stay in China, including a visit to Xinjiang and other places. This team will depart for China next month,” Bachelet said.

This visit will not be a success without the clear denunciation of all the violations happening and this has to be the purpose of the visit. 



Sources and further readings : 

Mimi Lau, (March 2022) “ Senior Chinese official says all ethnic groups in Xinjiang live happily ahead of visit by UN human rights chief”  South China Morning Post, from

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3171596/senior-chinese-official-says-all-ethnic-groups-xinjiang-live

“China continues its labour abuse practices against Uighurs: UN”, Al Jazeera, 11 February 2022, retrieved 13 February 2022 from 

https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2022/2/11/china-continues-its-labour-abuse-practices-against-uighurs-un