Xinjiang, an autonomous region in northwest China. UN urges China to protect minorities in Xinjiang and Tibet from discrimination Human Rights
Many problematic laws and policies affecting China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region remain in place, the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) said, calling on the country’s authorities to review national security and counter-terrorism policies and strengthen protections for minorities from discrimination.
The Office’s experts, including its head, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, exchanged views with the Chinese government on a range of key issues, including those affecting the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, including in the Xinjiang Uyghur and Tibet Autonomous Regions, as well as national security and human rights issues in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
“In particular, in June this year, the UN human rights team visited China and held dialogue with the authorities, in particular on counter-terrorism policies and the criminal justice system,” said Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
The experts called on the Chinese government to conduct a full review of its policies and legislation regarding the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region from a human rights perspective and to revise the legal framework governing national security and counter-terrorism.
“Allegations of human rights violations, including torture, must be fully investigated,” Shamdasani said.
The Office hopes to continue its active engagement with the Chinese government, as well as civil society organizations, to achieve tangible progress in protecting human rights in the country.
“We also continue to closely monitor the current human rights situation in China, despite the difficulties associated with limited access to information and fear of reprisals against individuals who interact with the United Nations,” Shamdasani stressed. Shamdasani.
According to her, the OHCHR experts had discussed with the Government individual cases of particular concern and called on the authorities to take urgent steps to release all arbitrarily detained individuals and provide their families with information on their status and whereabouts.
“The High Commissioner is committed to ongoing engagement with the Government of China and to advocating for victims, always with the objective of contributing to improved human rights protection for people on the ground,” Shamdasani said.
Read also: