Human Rights Abuses of Uyghur
Muslims in Xinjiang China
Dr. Mozammel Haque
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
and First Secretary of State, Rt. Hon. Dominic Raab, MP introduced Statement on
Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime in the House of Commons on Monday, 6th
of June 2020. Discussions took place afterwards and parliamentarian from cross-party
lines raised the concerns on the human rights abuses of Uyghur Muslims of
Xinjiang China and Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar.
While introducing the Statement, Dominic Raab, said, “On
human rights, where we will defend media freedoms and protect freedom of
religious belief; and, with the measures we are enacting and announcing today,
hold to account the perpetrators of the worst human rights abuses.”
Dominic Raab explained, “if you’re a kleptocrat or an
organised criminal, you will not be able to launder your blood money in this
country. Today this Government and this House send a very clear message, on
behalf of the British people: those with blood on their hands, the thugs of
despots, the henchmen of dictators, will not be free to waltz into this country,
to buy up property on the Kings Road, do their Christmas shopping in
Knightsbridge or siphon dirty money through British banks or other financial
institutions.”
“We are imposing sanctions on individuals involved in some
of the most notorious human rights violations in recent years,” he said.
Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said, “we are grateful
to the Foreign Secretary for including the Rohingya in Myanmar in today’s
announcement. I hope that he will use his new remit to consider why the UK
investment arm, CDC, continues to invest in those who are complicit in
silencing people who speak out against human rights abuses in Myanmar.”
During discussion, Conservative MP for Tonbridge and
Malling, raised the issue of human rights violations in Xinjiang. He said, “There
has been a remarkable silence on human rights violations in China. As yet,
there is no announcement on any sanctions against those who are either exploiting
or abusing the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang, or repressing democracy activists
in Hong Kong. I wonder whether that is merely because this is the first stage
of sanctions and the Foreign Office has not quite yet caught up with it, or
whether it is a policy change. I also pay tribute to the few words the Foreign
Secretary said about co-operation with others. As he knows, sanctions work best
when they work with others. Working with our European and CANZUK friends is an
important aspect of that.”
Dominic Raab replied, “He asked about China, and recently
the Human Rights Council led a statement with 27 countries on the human rights
situation in Xinjiang, as well as in Hong Kong. Of course, as with China and
many other countries, people will wish to come up with further suggestions
going forward, and we will consider those carefully, based on the evidence. If
my hon. Friend will forgive me, I will not pre-empt what the next wave of
designations will be, but I assure him that we are already working on them.”
Sir Iain Duncan Smith Conservative MP for Chingford and
Woodford Green mentioned about “an exposé from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance
on China regarding the involvement of Chinese officials and Government in the
Uyghur suppression, sterilisation and forced encampment, and it ended with
their involvement in the stripping away of the rights and freedoms of the
people in Hong Kong, all the way up to the top.”
Labour MP for Rhondda, Chris Bryant, raised the issue of
Utghur Muslims. He said, “Uyghur Muslims, gay Chechnyans, Russian journalists,
Colombian campesinos and the Rohingya all have human rights. Corruption nearly
always goes hand in fisted glove with human rights abuse and nearly always the
first step is the repression of democracy—the preventing of people from enjoying
their freedom of assembly and their freedom of speech. That is why I strongly
urge the Foreign Secretary to look at another clause that would include the
repression of democracy and the rights of assembly and of freedom of speech,
and therefore look very carefully at whether Carrie Lam should not be on the
list.”
Labour MP for Manchester Gorton, Afzal Khan, raised the
issue of Israeli Annexation. He said, “Israeli annexations are a violation of
international law and jeopardise any chance of a two-state solution. I would
like to believe that a two-state solution is not a lost cause, but that is only
possible if we speak up. I urge the Government to take action and condemn
violations such as the recent bulldozing of a historic Muslim cemetery in
Jaffa. Does the Foreign Secretary agree that such contempt for international
law warrants sanctions? If not, could he please explain his reasoning?”
First Secretary of State Dominic Raab replied, “We
certainly oppose not just the settlement building but other violations of
international humanitarian law. The hon. Gentleman may have seen the letter
that the Prime Minister recently published in the Israeli press, which made it
clear that we are not giving up on a two-state solution. We oppose annexation
and we want both parties to come to the table and negotiate a lasting
settlement.”
Conservative MP for Wakefield, Imran Ahmad khan, spoke
about the Uyghur Muslims. He said, “As he knows, hundreds of thousands of
Uighurs, other Muslims and Christians continue to be imprisoned in inhuman
Chinese camps, which are a revolting violation of the universal rights held
sacred by freedom-loving people everywhere, namely the freedom to live, work
and worship as desired.”
He also mentioned, “In 2019, 23 countries, including the
UK, US and Japan, signed a letter addressed to the UN Human Rights Council and
the UN General Assembly Third Committee urging communist China to close its
camps. It saddens me that, as we condemn slavery and other beastly historical
crimes, horrific exploitative labour continues—“
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Dominic Raab ,
replied, “I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the passionate way in which made
his case. I reassure him that, if he looks at the statement that the UK
reassure him that, if he looks at the statement that the UK led on with 27
other countries on the Human Rights Council, we have condemned the human rights
abuses that he refers to against the Uighurs and in relation to Hong Kong. That
is the first time the issue has been on the agenda at the Human Rights Council.
We will continue to keep up that work and shine a light on what, I agree, are
appalling human rights abuses.”
DUP for Strangford, Jim Shannon, raised the human rights
abuses of Uyghur Muslims. He said, “ we must question any sanctions policy that
does not target the Chinese officials responsible for the mistreatment of the
Uighurs in Xinjiang, where more than a million are in concentration camps. In
addition, an independent tribunal in Xinjiang concluded that forced organ
harvesting is undoubtedly taking place with the knowledge and support of the
Chinese Communist party. Will the Secretary of State join his US counterparts
and act against human rights abusers in China?”
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Dominic Raab
replied, “Sometimes, in the most authoritarian countries, evidence is difficult
to come by, almost by definition, but I hope he will see from the designations
that we make today that when we have the evidence and the crimes are clear, we
are willing to act.”
Labour MP for Bolton South East, Yasmin Qureshi, through
Virtual, raised the issue of Rohingya in Myanmar. She said, “I welcome the Foreign
Secretary’s statement today, but why is the Commonwealth Development
Corporation continuing to invest millions of pounds in a company called
Frontier, a telecommunications and internet company that has been obeying what
the Myanmar Government have been telling it, which is to suppress the
transmission of evidence of human rights abuses and atrocities being committed
against the Rohingya?”
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