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1/ BREAKING: UN censors 100 human rights NGOs on Chinese abuses, bars publication of joint appeal for Uighur Muslims detained in camps.
In 15 years of filing UNHRC written submissions, this is the most heavy-handed UN censorship I have ever witnessed.
unwatch.org/un-censors-100…
In 15 years of filing UNHRC written submissions, this is the most heavy-handed UN censorship I have ever witnessed.
unwatch.org/un-censors-100…
2/ In a Geneva meeting yesterday with UNHRC President Coly Seck, his secretariat confirmed they are barring our complaint—filed by a cross-regional coalition of more than 100 UN-accredited NGOs—concerning China’s mass incarceration of Uighurs.
3/ Our joint civil society appeal on China's abuses was signed by 135 UN-accredited NGOs from Brazil, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Germany, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Switzerland, Turkey, Uganda, UK, US & other countries.
4/ We originally submitted the appeal on June 4th to be circulated as an official UN document, following the standard protocol outlined by the UN human rights council's guidelines on NGO written submissions. The UN normally prints whatever they are given. But not this time.
5/ Our joint letter urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres & High Commissioner for Human Rights Michele Bachelet to condemn China's escalating abuse of UN rules to censor, interrupt & block references at the world body to its detention of 1 million Muslim Uighurs.
6/ The joint complaint references an incident in March this year, widely shared on social media, in which I took the floor at the UNHRC to condemn China's abuses of Uighur Muslims. China interrupted me 3 times and tried to shut down my testimony.
7/ As noted in the complaint, the UNHRC chair told me to "stick to the agenda item" on racial discrimination, implying that China's abuses against Muslim Uighurs did not qualify. Later, however, he did tell China to “prevent disturbing the proceedings of the room the next time.”
8/ When we submitted a joint complaint by 135 NGOs about the incident, the UNHRC—in a break from past practice—refused to publish it, together with four other submissions. We appealed to the UN Secretary General, but yesterday the UN doubled down & confirmed they are banning it. 
9/ Here is our statement that they are banning: unwatch.org/wp-content/upl…
Can anyone see a single UN rule that it violates?
Can anyone see a single UN rule that it violates?
