China Blocks UN Human Rights Council Debate on Uyghur Abuses

Oct. 6 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The UN Human Rights Council has knocked down this Thursday a proposal to debate the alleged abuses perpetrated against the Uyghur minority in the Chinese region of Xinjiang, thanks to the vote against the Asian giant and a large part of its international partners.

The vote resulted in 19 votes against, 17 in favor and eleven abstentions, in a blow to an initiative promoted by Western governments and which represents a practically unprecedented refusal in the history of the Human Rights Council.

At the end of August, the UN Human Rights Office denounced “serious” abuses in the Xinjiang region and warned of the possible commission of crimes against humanity. The Chinese government, however, maintains that it does not discriminate against populations such as the Uyghurs, who have a Muslim majority.

The secretary general of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard, has pointed out that “today’s vote protects those responsible for human rights violations rather than the victims”, while putting the Council in a “ridiculous position” for “ignoring “The conclusions of the recent report.

“Political and economic interests should not triumph in the face of serious doubts about Human Rights and no country should escape the scrutiny of the Council,” Callamard lamented in a statement, who still hopes to continue “the fight for justice” for the victims. in other ways.