UN rights body abandons Uyghurs, votes not to discuss China’s abuse

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) rejected the bid by the US and European countries to debate rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China.
Last week, the UN’s top human rights body voted down a proposal from western countries including the US and Britain to hold a debate on alleged rights abuses against Muslim Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in China’s western Xinjiang region, Wall Street Journal reported.
The motion to debate was based on a report issued in August by the UN High Commission, which stated that the violations occurred in the context of the Chinese government’s claim that it is using so-called Vocational Educational and Training Centers (VETCs), also known as re-education camps, as part of a counter-extremism strategy to target terrorists among the Uyghur minority.
Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates Cuba and Venezuela were among a total of 19 countries that voted against the motion to discuss the report. Apparently, these countries don’t want to offend China or are on the hook as part of Beijing’s Belt and Road Initiative, the WSJ said.
The WSJ editorial board pointed out that four countries in the list that ignored the documented persecution of a Chinese Muslim minority group are majority Muslim nations. Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country, and Pakistan’s state religion is Islam.
Earlier the UN High Commission released a report which said that the violations have taken place in the context of the Chinese Government’s assertion that it is targeting terrorists among the Uyghur minority with a counter-extremism strategy that involves the use of a so-called Vocational Educational and Training Centres.