UN rights chief says China committing violations in Xinjiang, Tibet
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Monday called on China to implement recommendations to amend laws that violate fundamental rights, including in the Xinjiang and Tibet regions. Rights groups accuse Beijing of widespread abuses of Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of […]
Essay: Three anniversaries will force issues of religious persecution at the UN General Assembly
Whether world leaders grapple with interconnecting issues of religion and global affairs remains to be seen, but, KNOX THAMES, a former special envoy for religious minorities at the US State Department and senior fellow at Pepperdine University, says they cannot afford to ignore them…
For 25th year, US State Department reports on threats, triumphs in religious freedom
United StatesRNS US State Department officials continued to point to religious freedom atrocities in Russia, China and Afghanistan as they released their annual report on threats to religious liberties across the globe. “Far too many governments continue to freely target faith community members within their borders,” said Rashad Hussain, ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, at […]
UN committee urges China to dismantle forced labour systems
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters A UN committee said on Monday it was concerned about China’s treatment of its Muslim minority, including the use of forced labour against Uyghurs, in a sweeping report that adds pressure on Beijing to improve its human rights record. The findings by the group of UN-appointed independent experts follow a series of […]
“Massive” violations in Ukraine a focus as UN human rights body meets
Geneva, Switzerland Reuters The UN rights chief condemned Russia’s “senseless” invasion of Ukraine on Monday at the start of a Human Rights Council session at which countries want to strengthen scrutiny of Moscow’s alleged war crimes and raise China’s treatment of Muslim Uyghurs. Volker Turk, the United Nations high commissioner, in one of his first […]
Canadian lawmakers back resettlement of 10,000 Uyghur Muslims
Ottawa, Canada Reuters The Canadian parliament on Wednesday unanimously voted in favour of a non-binding proposal for the resettlement of 10,000 Uyghur Muslim refugees from China’s Xinjiang region into Canada over two years. The House of Commons voted 322-0 for Liberal member of parliament Sameer Zuberi’s bill, which also called on the government to recognise […]
Two years after US recognised Uyghur genocide, rights groups warn time is running out
United StatesRNS Two years since then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China’s repression of the Uyghurs a genocide, rights groups and political leaders continue to demand an end to China’s human rights abuses. “Time is running out,” said Salih Hudayar, prime minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile and leader of the […]
UN committee urges China to free Xinjiang detainees, recommends reparations
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters A United Nations committee urged China on Thursday to release people held in detention facilities in its Xinjiang region and recommended that it provide victims with “remedies and reparation”. The committee’s statement adds to pressure on China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to enact reforms following a report from the […]
US blocks more than 1,000 solar shipments over Chinese slave labour concerns
Reuters More than 1,000 shipments of solar energy components worth hundreds of millions of dollars have piled up at US ports since June under a new law banning imports from China’s Xinjiang region over concerns about slave labour, according to federal customs officials and industry sources. The level of seizures, which has not previously been […]
US, allies push for UN rights body debate on Xinjiang abuses
Geneva, SwitzerlandAP The United States and several Western allies presented a proposal Monday for the UN’s main human rights body to hold a special debate over reported rights abuses against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region. The US and Britain, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden were behind a draft […]