The UN Rights Council on Thursday rejected a Western proposal to hold a debate on China’s alleged human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang, a major victory for Beijing, which has sought to avoid further scrutiny , reports Reuters.
The defeat, rejected by 19 votes to 17 with 11 abstentions) was only the second time in the Council’s 16-year history that a motion had been rejected and was seen by observers as a setback for both accountability efforts, as well as for the West’s moral authority regarding human rights and confidence in the United Nations itself.
The United States, Canada and Great Britain were among the countries that tabled the proposal.
“It’s a disaster. It’s really disappointing,” said Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, whose mother died in the camp and whose two brothers are missing.
“We will never give up, but we are really disappointed by the reaction of Muslim countries,” he added.
Qatar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan rejected the proposal, with the latter citing the risk of alienating China.
Chinese representative Chen Xu warned before the vote that the proposal would set a precedent for checking the human rights situation in other countries.
“Today China is in the crosshairs. Tomorrow, every other developing country will be in the crosshairs,” Cheng Xu said, adding that the debate would lead to “new confrontations.”
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on August 31 released a long-delayed report that found serious human rights violations in Xinjiang that may amount to crimes against humanity, increasing pressure on China.
Human rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against the Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority numbering about 10 million in the western Xinjiang region, including the widespread use of forced labor in internment camps. The United States has accused China of genocide. Beijing strongly denies any abuse.
The proposal is the first time that human rights in China, a powerful permanent member of the Security Council, have been on the council’s agenda. It was divisive and a diplomat said countries were under “enormous pressure” from Beijing to support China’s position.
Countries including Britain, the United States and Germany have vowed to continue working for accountability despite Thursday’s outcome. But campaigners said defeat would make it difficult to put it back on the agenda.
“This is a serious blow to the credibility of the Council and a clear victory for China,” he said. “Many developing countries will see it as overcoming the West’s predominance in the UN human rights system.”
The event raised political dilemmas for many poor countries in the 47-member council, which are reluctant to publicly oppose China for fear of jeopardizing Chinese investment. Others may have wanted to avoid future scrutiny themselves.
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