'Trite Lies': China slams the west for accusing them of rights violations in Xinjiang

The People’s Republic of China, on Saturday, called out 43 countries that had slammed it for their treatment of the Uighur refugees at the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). In a video message, Chinese Envoy to UN Zhang Jun said that the west was 'politicizing' Xingjian and trying to blot the communist country’s image. ''It is an attempt to smear China’s human rights,’' he added.

Calling the accusations “totally unfounded”, Jun further accused the US and its allies of using the issue to obstruct China’s development. ''China’s progress is unstoppable,'' the Chinese representative said highlighting recent developments in the country. In his brief but clear message to the world, Jun talked at length about a recently held conference that featured Uyghur representatives narrating 'real' stories at Xinjiang’s vocational education and training centres.

The Chinese envoy also launched a scathing attack on America and other major western powers accusing them of conducting 'genocides' in the Middle-east and Central Asia. Talking historically, he reminded his ‘geopolitical enemies’ of the mass murders they conducted of the native Indian-Americans. He also warned the US against interfering in Chinese Affairs -political or non-political.

“Your politicizing and instrumentalizing of human rights issues will find no support. Your attempt to eliminate whoever holds different views—in the name of democracy—will only end in vain,” Jun said.

Is China conducting ethnic cleaning operations?

China has detained more than a million Uyghurs, reasoning that it needs to 'eliminate extremism.' Earlier, the European Parliament had observed that Chinese authorities were deliberately sending Uyghur women of childbearing age into forced abortions, intrauterine injections and sterilisation. However, Beijing has consistently denied allegations of forced labour and other claims of human rights abuses in the area, which is home to about 11 million Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority that speak a language closely related to Turkish and have their own distinct culture. The US State Department estimates that since 2017, up to two million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other ethnic minorities could have passed through the camp system, which China calls vocational training centres designed to fight extremism.

File Image: AP