London, Dec 9: An independent, unofficial body set up by a prominent British barrister to assess evidence on China’s alleged rights abuses against the Uyghur people concluded Thursday that the Chinese government committed genocide and crimes against humanity. The Uyghur Tribunal, doesn’t have any government backing or powers to sanction or punish China. But organisers hope the process of publicly laying out evidence will compel international action to tackle alleged abuses against the Uyghurs.
Tribunal chair Geoffrey Nice said the genocide ruling was based on evidence that the Chinese government’s forced birth control and sterilization policies targeting Uyghurs in the far western Xinjiang province were “intended to destroy a significant part” of the group’s population. The abuse was part of comprehensive policies directly linked to President Xi Jinping and the highest levels of the Chinese government, he said.
In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Thursday that “the so-called forced labor and genocide in Xinjiang are entirely vicious rumors.” After examining evidence from witnesses, experts and leaked Chinese government documents for over a year, the Uyghur Tribunal also concluded that it was beyond doubt that crimes against humanity were committed, including the torture and rape of scores held in vast detention centers. An estimated 1 million people or more — most of them Uyghurs — have been confined in reeducation camps in Xinjiang in recent years, according to researchers. (AP)
