UN calls on China for “meaningful access” to Xinjiang region for human rights abuses against Uyghurs

In a speech at the opening of the 47th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet said she hopes to visit this year and have “meaningful access” to China’s Xinjiang region, or “reports of serious human rights violations continue to emerge ” against the Uyghur Muslim minority.

Several human rights organizations accuse China will intern at least a million Muslims in Xinjiang in “re-education camps”.

Beijing denies this figure and talks about “Vocational training centers” to support employment and fight against religious extremism.

In Geneva, Bachelet has repeatedly called on Beijing to give him “full access” to Xinjiang. And at the end of February, he reiterated his demand for a “full and independent assessment” of the situation in the Chinese region.

But human rights activists are calling on the UN to take a tougher line.

Continuing with China, Bachelet He also sounded the alarm about the “freezing impact” of the drastic new law on national security implemented in Hong Kong a year ago, about which your services expressed “Serious concerns.”

Russia

In his speech, Michelle Bachelet also denounced the “biggest and most serious setbacks” in human rights “that we have ever seen”.

“To recover from the biggest and most serious human rights setbacks we have ever seen, we must have a life-changing vision and concerted action “ to put it into practice, Bachelet told members of the Human Rights Council.

“We need (…) societies which, although diverse, share fundamental commitments to reduce inequalities and advance all human rights”, said the former Chilean president.

Among the many human rights setbacks denounced by Bachelet is russia, to which the High Commissioner asked to “respect civil and political rights” in the run-up to the legislative elections in September.

“I am appalled by the recent measures which further undermine the right of people to express critical opinions and their ability to participate in the legislative elections scheduled for September, ”he said, citing the case of the imprisoned Russian opponent Alexei Navalny and the dismantling of its movement.

He also urged Moscow to put an end to the arbitrary practice of labeling individuals, journalists and NGOs as “extremists”, “foreign agents” or “undesirable organizations”.

Colombia and Mexico

Bachelet also spoke of Colombia and showed its “serious concern” at the crackdown on demonstrators.

According to the data he proposed, from April 28 to June 16 56 deaths were recorded (54 civilians and 2 police officers), notably in Cali, in addition to 49 victims of sexual violence.

Bachelet expressed its condemnation of “all forms of violence”, called for the right to peaceful assembly to be fully respected “and encouraged” a dialogue to resolve the crisis “.

Bachelet also denounced the actions of groups that commit abuses and have established barricades that violate the human rights of the population.

About the situation in Mexico, the High Commissioner was alarmed by the “High level of political violence” during the legislative election campaign held earlier this month.

Mexico celebrated on June 6 a few elections that were considered the most important in history of the country since more than 20,000 popular election posts have been renewed, including 500 members of the Chamber of Deputies, governorates of 15 states and thousands of posts in local congresses and municipal councils.

“At least 91 politicians and party members, including 36 candidates for the elections, were assassinated during the electoral period which began in September 2020”said Bachelet, who also denounced attacks and threats against politicians and sexual and gender-based violence against women.

The high commissioner said that It should not be forgotten that many other participants in the electoral process were attacked or threatened, a wave of violence that also affected supporters of one party or another, as well as officials who worked to ensure that the elections could take place.

Among the forms of violence observed, there were gender violence, as well as the character sexual, and smear campaigns.

In addition to sanctioning all these crimes, Bachelet called on the Mexican government to refrain from using language that disqualifies those who criticize the authorities or that could call into question the independence of autonomous public bodies, including electoral bodies.

Waiting for Venezuela and Nicaragua

During the session of the Human Rights Council, Bachelet too present updates to your previous reports on human rights violations in Venezuela, under the regime of Nicolás Maduro, and in Nicaragua, under Daniel Ortega, who will be this Tuesday. Both will be reports without a vote.

In the case of Venezuela Human Rights Council to consider updated High Commissioner’s report, who said in March that he continued to receive complaints of extrajudicial killings in the context of security operations. This report is It will be presented between July 5 and 6.

As for Nicaragua, it is expected that the UN in its updated report condemn the arrest of presidential candidates and the restrictions imposed on political parties by the Ortega regime and demand the immediate release of all political prisoners, just as they have done Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OEA) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights last week.

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