Fifteen Nations Demand China Release Uyghur, Tibetan Detainees and Allow Human Rights Access
In a collective stand, fifteen Western countries are calling on China to release Uyghurs and Tibetans they claim are “arbitrarily detained,” urging Beijing to permit human rights observers access to Xinjiang and Tibet. The coordinated statement, delivered to the United Nations Human Rights Committee on Tuesday by Australia’s ambassador James Larsen, emphasizes the need for transparency around human rights in the regions. China’s representative sharply rebuked the appeal, signaling persistent tensions on the international stage.
“Openness is essential to address global concerns,” Larsen stated in his speech. “We call on China to allow independent and unrestricted access to Xinjiang and Tibet for human rights assessments, including by U.N. observers.” His statement, backed by Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the U.K., and the U.S., also presses China to uphold its declared human rights commitments and release those allegedly held in arbitrary detention, while clarifying the status of missing individuals.
Larsen referred to documented U.N. findings of severe restrictions on religious and political expression, forced labor, family separations, and forced sterilization in Xinjiang and Tibet. The United States has classified China’s treatment of Uyghurs as an ongoing “genocide,” heightening global concerns about human rights abuses.
In a swift retort, China’s U.N. ambassador, Fu Cong, shifted attention to Gaza, asserting that this crisis warrants immediate focus from the international community. “Gaza’s humanitarian disaster is the real priority,” Fu stated, criticizing the U.S. and Australia for allegedly ignoring this situation in favor of “baseless attacks” on Xinjiang’s “peaceful and stable” conditions.
Rights advocates and community representatives, however, lauded the joint statement. Namgyal Choedup, representing the Dalai Lama in North America, welcomed the development, noting, “This message reinforces global accountability; it’s critical that these nations stay vocal.”
Maya Wang, interim China director for Human Rights Watch, echoed this sentiment, describing the statement as urgent. “China continues to deny grave abuses,” she remarked. “Governments like Australia must persist in seeking accountability.”
For Ilshat Hassan Kokbore, vice chairman of the World Uyghur Congress, further action is needed. “Genocide continues—it’s urgent the world takes meaningful steps to end these atrocities now,” he urged.
The unified statement from these nations underscores a growing international push to hold Beijing accountable on human rights, adding fresh pressure on China to address allegations raised by the global community.
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