As widely reported by media outlets throughout the world, China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang province against the Muslim Uyghur community is well known. Researchers have sourced the use of forced human labour to mass-produce goods in the most basic and widely used product supply chains across the world. China has been allegedly using the UN to shield itself from the crimes the regime is committing in the province.
In a letter written to the editor of The Economist, a Chinese diplomat has suggested that in addition to the surveillance, mass arbitrary detentions and forced re-education, China’s actions in the province is akin to principles embodied in a number of international documents on counter-terrorism, those drafted by the UN.
China has therefore been using the garb of multilateralism and counter-terrorism to oppress the Uyghur Muslims, angering top officials in the international body.
The massive human rights violations taking place in the region is widely documented and it now time for the UN to review its strategies on counterterrorism so that they cannot be taken out of context and be used to lead mass persecution of a dying community.