BEIJING: The UN envoy on Saturday defended his controversial visit to China but urged officials to avoid “arbitrary and indiscriminate” measures in Xinjiang, a region where Beijing has been accused of extensive human rights abuses.
Michelle BacheletThis week-long planned trip took her to the far-western region, where China has reportedly been subjected to forced sterilization and forced labor, along with the detention of more than one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.
But Bachelet insisted on Saturday that his visit was “not an investigation”.
The United States has labeled China’s actions in Xinjiang a “genocide” and a “crime against humanity”, strongly denying allegations by Beijing, which said its security actions were a necessary response to extremism.
Bachelet has come under fire from rights groups and Uighurs abroad, who say she has been bogged down in a six-day Communist Party propaganda tour, including a virtual meeting with President Xi Jinping that state media suggested. Given that it supports China’s vision of human rights.
His office later clarified that his remarks did not directly endorse China’s rights record.
Speaking at the end of her visit while inside China, Bachelet framed her visit as an opportunity to speak “clarity” with Chinese officials, as well as civil society groups and academics.
“This visit was not an investigation,” she later insisted, adding that the United Nations had arranged to meet in Xinjiang.
She said she had met with the provincial Communist Party boss as well as security chiefs in one of the most tightly surveyed places on earth.
China says it has been forced to launch an “anti-terrorism” campaign in Xinjiang, but rights groups allege that entire communities, mainly Uighurs, have been largely detained, many of whom Haven’t had any chance to communicate outside with their families for many years.
“We are aware of the number of people seeking news on the fate of their loved ones … This and other issues were raised with the authorities,” Bachelet said, adding details given the sensitivity of the issue to China’s security apparatus. Denying said.
It is the first visit to China by a top UN rights envoy in 17 years and comes after painstaking talks on the terms of his visit, which the UN says is neither a fact-finding mission nor an investigation. .
– ‘Very transparent’ – In his strongest remarks aimed at Beijing, Bachelet urged China to refrain from “arbitrary and indiscriminate measures” in its action in Xinjiang – but also said it has refrained from “violent acts of extremism” Recognize the damage.
Bachelet visited the Xinjiang cities of Urumqi and Kashgar, but no photos or further details of her itinerary were released during the trip.
The envoy said he had visited a prison in Kashgar, where he saw prisoners and an internal court of appeal, to which his access was “very open, very transparent”.
He was assured by the Xinjiang government that a network of “vocational training centers” – which rights groups say are forced re-education camps – had been “destroyed”, he said, adding that he was a former re-educationalist. Have visited the centre.
Beijing announced in 2019 that all “trainees” had graduated from “vocational training centres”, but rights groups allege that many detainees were transferred to factories where forced labor was used, or its Instead Xinjiang’s prisons were transferred to the balloon network.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said earlier this week that Bachelet’s activities were “organised in accordance with her wishes and based on the in-depth consultations of both sides”.
State media have only covered meetings with Xi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which he handed them a book of Xi’s quotes on human rights.
Her journey has been under a “closed loop”, apparently due to the COVID-19 risks.
The United States has reiterated its view that Bachelet’s visit was a mistake this week after releasing thousands of leaked documents and photographs from inside a mass confinement system, while the UK and Germany have expressed their concerns over the visit .
Michelle BacheletThis week-long planned trip took her to the far-western region, where China has reportedly been subjected to forced sterilization and forced labor, along with the detention of more than one million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.
But Bachelet insisted on Saturday that his visit was “not an investigation”.
The United States has labeled China’s actions in Xinjiang a “genocide” and a “crime against humanity”, strongly denying allegations by Beijing, which said its security actions were a necessary response to extremism.
Bachelet has come under fire from rights groups and Uighurs abroad, who say she has been bogged down in a six-day Communist Party propaganda tour, including a virtual meeting with President Xi Jinping that state media suggested. Given that it supports China’s vision of human rights.
His office later clarified that his remarks did not directly endorse China’s rights record.
Speaking at the end of her visit while inside China, Bachelet framed her visit as an opportunity to speak “clarity” with Chinese officials, as well as civil society groups and academics.
“This visit was not an investigation,” she later insisted, adding that the United Nations had arranged to meet in Xinjiang.
She said she had met with the provincial Communist Party boss as well as security chiefs in one of the most tightly surveyed places on earth.
China says it has been forced to launch an “anti-terrorism” campaign in Xinjiang, but rights groups allege that entire communities, mainly Uighurs, have been largely detained, many of whom Haven’t had any chance to communicate outside with their families for many years.
“We are aware of the number of people seeking news on the fate of their loved ones … This and other issues were raised with the authorities,” Bachelet said, adding details given the sensitivity of the issue to China’s security apparatus. Denying said.
It is the first visit to China by a top UN rights envoy in 17 years and comes after painstaking talks on the terms of his visit, which the UN says is neither a fact-finding mission nor an investigation. .
– ‘Very transparent’ – In his strongest remarks aimed at Beijing, Bachelet urged China to refrain from “arbitrary and indiscriminate measures” in its action in Xinjiang – but also said it has refrained from “violent acts of extremism” Recognize the damage.
Bachelet visited the Xinjiang cities of Urumqi and Kashgar, but no photos or further details of her itinerary were released during the trip.
The envoy said he had visited a prison in Kashgar, where he saw prisoners and an internal court of appeal, to which his access was “very open, very transparent”.
He was assured by the Xinjiang government that a network of “vocational training centers” – which rights groups say are forced re-education camps – had been “destroyed”, he said, adding that he was a former re-educationalist. Have visited the centre.
Beijing announced in 2019 that all “trainees” had graduated from “vocational training centres”, but rights groups allege that many detainees were transferred to factories where forced labor was used, or its Instead Xinjiang’s prisons were transferred to the balloon network.
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said earlier this week that Bachelet’s activities were “organised in accordance with her wishes and based on the in-depth consultations of both sides”.
State media have only covered meetings with Xi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, during which he handed them a book of Xi’s quotes on human rights.
Her journey has been under a “closed loop”, apparently due to the COVID-19 risks.
The United States has reiterated its view that Bachelet’s visit was a mistake this week after releasing thousands of leaked documents and photographs from inside a mass confinement system, while the UK and Germany have expressed their concerns over the visit .