By @bequelin: "The international community, working through the U.N., must respond with meaningful steps to end the abuses, free prisoners and hold #Beijing to account." nytimes.com/2022/09/30/opi…
"Strong action is essential to draw a line in the sand against an orchestrated campaign waged for years by China to gut the U.N.’s ability to protect human rights.
Chinese efforts include a behind-the-scenes war of attrition to undermine mechanisms like the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the 47-nation Human Rights Council, which is tasked with addressing violations."
"The Chinese Communist Party’s ultimate goal is to cripple the international community’s ability to censure countries for human rights violations.
China’s leverage is growing. The rise of authoritarianism around the world provides a widening base of support from like-minded regimes."
"Global dependence on Chinese trade, investment and financial assistance allows China to strong-arm other countries into silence. Chinese nationals lead or occupy high positions in several U.N. agencies, ...
... and Beijing exercises growing control over other appointments and financial affairs."
"Denying abuses, China sought to prevent global action. The U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet repeatedly postponed publishing the investigation and during a visit to Xinjiang in May recited Chinese talking points."
"Her office released its report just minutes before her four-year term ended at midnight on Aug. 31, allowing her to avoid addressing its findings, and broke with precedent by refraining from recommending further international action."
"The foot dragging hasn’t stopped there.
Despite condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and human rights abuses in Myanmar, Iran and elsewhere, the U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has been largely silent on the Xinjiang report, ...
Despite condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and human rights abuses in Myanmar, Iran and elsewhere, the U.N. secretary general, Antonio Guterres, has been largely silent on the Xinjiang report, ...
... omitting it from a Sept. 20 address to the General Assembly in which he lamented other rights abuses around the world."
"It is up to the Human Rights Council, in session until Oct. 7, to decide on any follow-up. Potential options include a mandate to conduct further investigation, which has been done for Russian aggression in Ukraine and many other crises, and to press for accountability."
"China, a member of the council, will fight tooth and nail. It has already denounced the U.N. investigation as “illegal,” calling the human rights office a “thug and accomplice of the U.S.”
"Beijing has garnered less support than expected at the council in defending its policies in Xinjiang, possibly reflecting discomfort with the enormity of the abuses.
But meaningful action will require vigorous engagement by member states and courageous leadership from Mr. Guterres and Mr. Türk."
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