The UN Human Rights Office said Tuesday that “troubling” policies persist in China, two years after its major report called for possible “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang.
China is accused of detaining more than a million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in its northwestern Xinjiang region, an allegation Beijing has strongly denied.
The OHCHR said on Tuesday that it had held a series of discussions in Geneva with Chinese officials since February 2023. These discussions paved the way for UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk to send a team to Beijing from May 26 to June 1 this year.
The team held talks with Chinese authorities, specifically on “counter-terrorism policies and the criminal justice system,” OHCHR spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters.
“Regarding Xinjiang, we understand that there are still many problematic laws and policies,” he said.
OHCHR demanded that Chinese authorities “conduct a thorough review” of legal requirements relating to national security and counter-terrorism, as well as protecting minorities from discrimination.
OHCHR urged “real progress in protecting human rights in China” as well as an investigation into alleged violations, including torture.
A major report by Turk’s predecessor, Michelle Bachelet – released minutes before her term ends on August 31, 2022 – called for possible “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang.
The report, which China has roundly rejected, details “credible” evidence of torture, forced medical treatment, and sexual or gender-based violence, as well as forced labor.
China denies allegations of abuse and insists it runs vocational training centers in Xinjiang that have helped combat extremism and promote development.
Shamdasani also said the OHCHR team sent to Beijing met with representatives from Xinjiang and Hong Kong, but did not travel outside the capital. Further visits are under discussion.
Shamdasani said the cooperation was “positive” but “in terms of actual implementation there is still a lot to improve.” “That’s why we need to continue working with them, to see if we can make progress,” he added.
OHCHR is monitoring conditions in China despite difficulties caused by limited access to information, “and fear of reprisals against individuals engaging with the United Nations”, he said. (ns/uh)
