- Title: Calls grow for U.N. action on China's Muslim 're-education camps'
- Date: 19th September 2018
- Summary: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND (SEPTEMBER 18, 2018) (REUTERS) PANEL DISCUSSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) GERMAN ACADEMIC AND EXPERT ON CHINESE MINORITY POLICY, ADRIAN ZENZ, SAYING: "We can say this appears to be the most intensive social re-engineering effort of the Chinese state since the Cultural Revolution. Very likely and if not at time to discuss directional between number calculation, the scale of Xinjiang re-education exceeded the entire former national 'Re-education through Labour' network which at its height in 2006-2008 had 160,000 persons interned in 350 facilities. In Xinjiang we are looking at, at a minimum, several hundred thousand, possibly over one million in possibly over 1,000 or 1,200 facilities." JOURNALISTS LOOKING AT PICTURES OF PEOPLE SUSPECTED TO BE HELD IN CAMP PANEL DISCUSSION IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH IN GENEVA, JOHN FISHER, SAYING: "And I think, one thing that stands out very clearly is that in most countries if there were reports of violations on such a massive scale, we would see some kind of engagement by the Human Rights Council and some concerted voices being raised by states in order to draw attention to the issues. In similar circumstances in other countries, it would not be at all unwarranted for violations on this scale to be met with calls for a commission of inquiry, a fact-finding mission by the office of the High Commissioner, a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in China or otherwise. Because it is China, we found that states' voices are muted." VARIOUS OF PANEL IN PROGRESS UNITED NATIONS SIGN
- Embargoed: 3rd October 2018 13:53
- Keywords: China re-education camps Uighurs Turkic minority Muslim mistreatment
- Location: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / QAGHILIQ (YECHENG) COUNTY, KASHGAR PREFECTURE, CHINA
- City: GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / QAGHILIQ (YECHENG) COUNTY, KASHGAR PREFECTURE, CHINA
- Country: Switzerland
- Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
- Reuters ID: LVA0038YAMNUV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The United Nations must probe the mass detention of up to one million Uighurs and other Muslims in China's Xinjiang province held against their will for political indoctrination, activists and experts said on Tuesday (September 18).
Reports of extra-legal internment and strict surveillance of ethnic Uighur people in the far western region have sparked a growing international outcry since coming to light last month.
"We need help of the United Nations. Uighur people need help before it is too late. U.N. member states have an absolute obligation to act immediately", president of the exiled World Uighur Congress Dolkun Isa told a panel of discussion at the U.N.
Isa said his mother died in a re-education camp in May and that his brother was still detained.
German academic and expert on Chinese minority policy, Adrian Zenz, launched a report on the re-education camp in May 2018 and based his findings on satellite imagery, government procurement bids for building internment facilities and recruitment notices for Mandarin teachers.
"In Xinjiang, we are looking at, at a minimum, several hundred thousand, possibly over one million in possibly over 1,000 or 1,200 facilities", he said.
U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called on China last week to allow in monitors after the "deeply disturbing" allegations emerged.
But there appears to be little appetite among states for launching a U.N. probe, said director of Human Rights Watch in Geneva, John Fisher.
On Tuesday (September 18), during the Human Rights Council, France, Germany and other countries have called on China to close "re-education camps" in Xinjiang province. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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