Dr Mozammel Haque
It is good that Sir Iain Duncan Smith has brought this important issue to the House. There were very strong contributions on this issue and the House is united in its call for the government to take immediate action.
During the discussion of this question it is found some members raised the question of the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims which is atrocious, abhorrent, frankly speaking, hallowing. There is a grave human rights abuses committed and perpetrated against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, China.
Not only the Parliamentarians of the British Parliament, even the International community has been shocked, saddened and appalled by the plight of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. An appalling genocide is being committed and perpetuated against the Uyghur Muslims.
There is a vivid picture given by The Atlantic paper about the mentality of the Chinese Government.
China is Treating Islam like a Mental Illness - The Atlantic
As early as 2018, The Atlantic paper under the Caption: [China is Treating Islam like a Mental Illness] has given a vivid picture of the atrocities being committed against the Uyghur Muslims. It said, “One million Muslims are being held right now in Chinese internment camps, according to estimates cited by the UN and U.S. officials. Former inmates—most of whom are Uighurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority—have told reporters that over the course of an indoctrination process lasting several months, they were forced to renounce Islam, criticize their own Islamic beliefs and those of fellow inmates, and recite Communist Party propaganda songs for hours each day.”
Sigal Samuel reported in the paper, “There are media reports of inmates being forced to eat pork and drink alcohol, which are forbidden to Muslims, as well as reports of torture and death. “The sheer scale of the internment camp system, which according to The Wall Street Journal, has doubled in China’s north-western Xinjiang region just within the last year, is mindboggling. The U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China describes it as “the largest mass incarceration of a minority population in the world today.” Beijing began by targeting Uighur extremists, but now even benign manifestations of Muslim identity—like growing a long beard—can get a Uighur sent to a camp, the Journal noted. Earlier this month, when a UN panel confronted a senior Chinese official about the camps, he said there are “no such things as reeducation centers,” even though government documents refer to the facilities that way. Instead, he claimed they’re just vocational schools for criminals.(The Atlantic, 28 August 2018)
Genocide of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang
In the British Parliament, Sir Iain Duncan Smith said, Mr Zenz and IPAC have also shown that the Chinese Government forced Uyghur women into sterilisation. As a result, the Uyghur population in those regions fell by as much as 84% between 2015 and 2018. That is action verging, I believe, on genocide.”
Labour Member for Wigan, Lisa Nandy, said, “Yesterday, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis described the treatment of the Uyghur people as an “unfathomable mass atrocity”. He added: “Let no person say that the responsibility lies with others.”
The shocking BBC revelations must be the trigger for action, following accounts of forced sterilisations, beatings and re-education camps, which undeniably share features of genocide.”
Lisa Nandy asked, “Has the Minister considered the use of the 1984 convention against torture, a potential international legal process that does not present the same jurisdictional challenges facing the International Criminal Court or face the same evidence bar?”
Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling, Tom Tugendhot, said, “This report by Adrian Zenz is extremely powerful and makes clear and sobering reading. I am sure the Minister will have followed the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing yesterday, where we heard from Uyghur activists—one in Europe and one in the United States—as well as human rights lawyers and a UN expert. They all made clear their view on the human rights violations that we are witnessing today.”
Conservative Member for Newbury, Laura Farris, said, “It was disappointing to read this week that the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court had declined to investigate China in respect of the persecution of Uyghur Muslims on the basis that the court did not have jurisdiction to do so, and we know that the UK tribunal led by Geoffrey Nice has no legal teeth of its own, so will my hon. Friend consider working with our many international partners to seek a special resolution at the UN and perhaps even establish a specialist tribunal, so that in time those responsible for these crimes can be brought to justice?”
Genocide at the International Criminal Court (ICC)
The Guardian reported about the case of the complaint by more than 60 parliamentarians from 16 countries. Patrick Wintour reported in the Guardian under the caption (International Politicians back Uighur genocide claim), “The complaint, backed by more than 60 parliamentarians from 16 countries, says the Chinese government may be committing crimes amounting to genocide and other crimes against humanity against the Uighur and other Turkic peoples. The letter claims mass deportation of Uighurs has occurred in Tajikistan and Cambodia, both signatories to the ICC, into China.
The claim, sent to the chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, is seen as an early test case of the human rights climate since Joe Biden became president-elect.
The Guardian also reported, “It has wide cross-party support in a number of countries, including from the former UK Conservative party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the Australian Labor senator Kimberley Kitching and Margarete Bause of the German Green party. The claim has been organised the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
The letter states: “The ICC has a unique ability to adjudicate on alleged genocide and crimes against humanity internationally. We call on the ICC to play its part in ensuring that the perpetrators of the most egregious human rights abuses are held accountable and prevented from acting with impunity.”
The report continues, “The Labour peer Helena Kennedy QC, the IPAC co-chair and director of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, said: “Mounting evidence points to the most horrific abuses against Uighurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang region. The international criminal court must fully examine the allegations brought before it and, if warranted, make every effort to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice.”
“Rodney Dixon, the barrister leading on the detailed legalities of the claim, said: “The support for our complaint shown by the IPAC parliamentarians is very significant. The prosecutor should feel encouraged that so many parliamentarians from other ICC member states believe she should open an investigation into officials of the Chinese government for the atrocities being committed against the Uighur and other Turkic people.
“For too long, nothing of substance has been done to bring justice to those who are suffering on a daily basis at the hands of the Chinese government. This is a breakthrough and momentous opportunity which we urge the ICC prosecutor to pursue without delay. This chance should not be squandered.” (The Guardian, 10 November, 2020)
“The case is an early test for the ICC in the new international human rights climate established by Donald Trump’s defeat. Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC’s chief prosecutor and another senior official in response to the court’s investigation of US actions in Afghanistan as well consideration of Israeli actions in Palestine,” Patrick Wintour reported in The Guardian, 10 November 2020.
British Parliament
House of Commons
As I said earlier, Conservative Member for Chingford and Woodford Green, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, secured an urgent question on Chinese Government’s Use of Uyghur Slave Labour in Xinjiang on Wednesday, the 16th of December 2020.
During the discussion of this question it was found that the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims is atrocious, abhorrent, frankly speaking, hallowing. There is grave human right abuses committed and perpetuated against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP (Con)
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, MP said, Mr Zenz and IPAC have also shown that the Chinese Government forced Uyghur women into sterilisation. As a result, the Uyghur population in those regions fell by as much as 84% between 2015 and 2018. That is action verging, I believe, on genocide.”
Lisa Nandy, MP (Lab)
Labour Member for Wigan, Lisa Nandy, said, “Yesterday, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis described the treatment of the Uyghur people as an “unfathomable mass atrocity”. He added: “Let no person say that the responsibility lies with others.”
The shocking BBC revelations must be the trigger for action, following accounts of forced sterilisations, beatings and re-education camps, which undeniably share features of genocide.”
Lisa Nandy asked, “Has the Minister considered the use of the 1984 convention against torture, a potential international legal process that does not present the same jurisdictional challenges facing the International Criminal Court or face the same evidence bar?”
Tom Tugendhot MP (Con)
Conservative MP for Tonbridge and Malling, Tom Tugendhot, said, “This report by Adrian Zenz is extremely powerful and makes clear and sobering reading. I am sure the Minister will have followed the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing yesterday, where we heard from Uyghur activists—one in Europe and one in the United States—as well as human rights lawyers and a UN expert. They all made clear their view on the human rights violations that we are witnessing today.”
Ms Nusrat Ghani, M.P. (Con)
Conservative MP for Wealden, Ms. Nusrat Ghani, said, “I want to add my weight to the Chief Rabbi’s intervention, which exposes the abuse of the Uyghur. The Chief Rabbi also said that there must be an “urgent, independent and unfettered investigation into what is happening.” She asked, “Can the Minister comment on that? As crimes against humanity by the Chinese Government grow, has the Chinese ambassador been summoned to explain what is happening?”
Nigel Adams replied,“My hon. Friend is right to raise a number of points. We are seriously concerned about a number of gross violations of human rights that are being perpetrated against Uyghur men and women and other minorities in Xinjiang. The Chief Rabbi is spot on, and we share his concerns about these violations that are being perpetrated. As I said, we are working internationally and co-operating with our partners on this issue. I am hopeful that my hon. Friend will draw some comfort in the new year from the new measures that we bring forward.”
Rachel Hopkins, MP (Lab)
Labour Member for Luton South, Rachel Hopkins said, “The abhorrent persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang by the Chinese Government must receive sustained international condemnation. The UK Government must be a key player in that and must not sit back and let the abuses continue. What steps is the Foreign Secretary taking to support the appointment of a UN special rapporteur for the investigation of forced labour and ethnic persecution in Xinjiang?”
Nigel Adams, Minister for Asia, replied, “We have been leading on this issue internationally, and I referred to the 38 other countries that joined us at the UN in one of the many statements that we have made on this issue. However, any action we take at the UN has to have an opportunity of succeeding, and there is no point bringing forward measures that will potentially give the intended target a propaganda coup.
Christian Wakeford, M.P. (Con)
Conservative Member for Bury South, Christian Wakeford, said, “I have been shocked, saddened and appalled by the plight of the Uyghurs in China. This was reinforced yesterday by the words of the Chief Rabbi. I would like to inquire what practical steps the Minister and the Foreign Secretary are taking to hold China to account for its disturbing and abhorrent actions.
Nigel Adams
The Minister for Asia, Nigel Adams, replied,“We welcome the Chief Rabbi’s intervention, and we share his serious concerns about the violations that are being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. I can assure my hon. Friend that we are playing a leading role internationally in holding China to account for these violations. We have led or co-ordinated multiple joint statements on this issue. This groundswell of international concern does send a powerful message, and I can assure him that it is increasing the pressure on the Chinese authorities to change course.
Andrew Gwynne, M.P. (Lab)
Labour MP for Denton and Reddish, Andrew Gwynne, asked, “The treatment of the Uyghurs is atrocious. Will the Minister confirm that the imposition of measures intended to prevent births within an ethnic or religious group is expressly forbidden under the terms of article II(d) of the UN convention on genocide, and will he seriously consider what international actions can be taken beyond joint statements to respond to the human rights abuses being committed in Xinjiang?”
Nigel Adams
The Minister for Asia, Nigel Adams, replied, “The hon. Gentleman is right to refer to this. We debated that very issue some months ago in the Chamber. Of course, we abhor any of those practices. He refers to the term “genocide”. That very much has a specific definition in international law. It is our long-standing policy that any “judgment as to whether crimes against humanity or genocide have occurred is absolutely a matter for judicial decision.”
Alicia Kearns, M.P. (Con)
Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton, Alicia Kearns, said, “The ever-increasing body of evidence of industrialised atrocities by the Chinese Communist party brings into stark focus my calls for the creation of an atrocity prevention unit at the FCDO. Does my hon. Friend agree that, internationally, we must ensure that the cost to the CCP’s reputation and economy is so great that it finally ceases the appalling genocide being committed against the Uyghur people, and what steps is he taking to magnify those costs to the greatest extent possible?”
Nigel Adams
The Minister for Asia, Nigel Adams, replied, “I thank my hon. Friend for her question and for her continued work in this area. I agree that it is absolutely vital that China understands the breadth of international concern about the situation in Xinjiang. She knows that we have taken the lead internationally on this issue. We have gone from 28 countries supporting a joint statement in June to 39 countries supporting a statement at the UN in October. This does send a powerful message to China, and if international businesses continue to take the action we are urging to ensure their supply chains are free of forced labour—I note that a number of prominent UK businesses have already done so—that will also send an important message to China.”
David Johnston, M.P. )Con)
Conservative MP for Wantage, David Johnston, said, “The abhorrent persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang by the Chinese Government must receive sustained international condemnation. The UK Government must be a key player in that and must not sit back and let the abuses continue. What steps is the Foreign Secretary taking to support the appointment of a UN special rapporteur for the investigation of forced labour and ethnic persecution in Xinjiang?”
Dr Andrew Murrison, M. P. (Con)
Conservative MP for South West Wiltshire, Dr. Andrew Murrison, said, “Well done, Chief Rabbi, for being one of the most authentic voices to speak out in support of the Uyghur people. Well done, Ministers, too, for taking a lead in October at the United Nations. Will the Minister persuade not only his colleagues, but the Governments that he persuaded in October to support the Uyghur people, to look at national public procurement supply chains to ensure that, while it is difficult to persuade the fashion industry to eschew dubiously sourced cotton, national Governments are doing everything in their power to ensure that products in their supply chains—I am thinking particularly of uniforms—have nothing to do with cotton sourced from countries that may be using forced labour?”
Nigel Adams
The Minister for Asia, Nigel Adams replied, “As I said, we are working cross-Government and we are working intensively with our international partners. It is absolutely the case that we should be bringing pressure to bear on those companies that are operating in the region. This is an area on which we will have a bit more to say in the new year, but I give him my assurance that we are working very co-operatively with our international partners on these issues, as well as across Government.”
Rushanara Ali, M.P. (Lab)
Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, Rushanara Ali, said, “Some of the comments that the Minister has made remind me of his predecessor’s responses to the situation in Myanmar against Rohingya Muslims. It shows that the failure of our Government to take a strong international leadership role to secure justice sends a dangerous message to repressive Governments around the world that ethnic cleansing and genocide against Muslims and other minorities is an acceptable policy tool. That is the message that he is sending, so it is time that our Government stop making excuses. I appreciate what he is doing, but he needs to look at the record of action and inaction in the past and learn from that.”
She asked, “That is why I call on him once again to heed the advice of Members across the House and start to apply sanctions—Magnitsky sanctions —and to seek a UN investigation into what is happening, as well as supporting the International Court of Justice case on genocide prevention led by the Gambia in relation to the Rohingya Muslims, because it is just not acceptable for our Government to continue to make excuses.”
Nigel Adams
Foreign Minister Nigel Adams replied, “We are not making excuses. I have a lot of time for the hon. Lady and we have spoken at great length on these issues, both inside and outside the Chamber. We are taking a lead; if that was not the case, a rising number of countries would not be supporting our statements at the UN. We are of course looking very closely at the case in Myanmar—we have discussed it face-to-face on a number of occasions and will continue to do.”
Laura Farris, M.P. (Con)
Conservative Member for Newbury, Laura Farris, said, “It was disappointing to read this week that the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court had declined to investigate China in respect of the persecution of Uyghur Muslims on the basis that the court did not have jurisdiction to do so, and we know that the UK tribunal led by Geoffrey Nice has no legal teeth of its own, so will my hon. Friend consider working with our many international partners to seek a special resolution at the UN and perhaps even establish a specialist tribunal, so that in time those responsible for these crimes can be brought to justice?”
Nigel Adams
Foreign Minister, Nigel; Adams, replied, “I thank my hon. Friend for raising this issue. A whole range of options is available to us that involve working with the UN. As I mentioned in a previous answer, whatever steps we take have to have a realistic chance of being successful in that particular forum. We will continue to work with our international partners, as she suggests; working alongside our international partners is the best approach in this regard.”
Sam Tarry
Labour Member for Ilford South, Sam Tarry, said, “We have rightly heard from both sides of the House condemnation of the atrocious, barbaric and, quite frankly, harrowing treatment of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang. Members from all parties who have been working on the National Security and Investment Bill over the past month heard evidence from none another than Sir Richard Dearlove, the former head of MI6, who sketched out a very complex picture that clearly showed that for far too long successive Governments have placed economic interests, including with China, far ahead of our human rights obligations. Will the Minister consider that and say whether he will look again at our relationship with China and not prioritise economic interests ahead of either national security or human rights?”
Nigel Adams
Foreign Minister, Nigel Adams, replied, “The hon. Gentleman is right to raise this issue. Obviously trade with China is important to us. As I said earlier, it is the fourth largest trading partner. It is important to help UK firms to overcome the economic challenges of covid and ensure our long-term prosperity, but I can guarantee the hon. Gentleman that we will not sacrifice either our values or our security in that regard.”
