Two years following a pivotal UN report that suggested Chinese policies in Xinjiang might amount to crimes against humanity, the UN’s leading human rights office has reported that “many troubling laws and practices remain entrenched” in the region.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) stated that while it has engaged in “in-depth discussions” with Beijing on various critical human rights issues, it continues to face challenges due to restricted access to information and concerns about retaliation against those who interact with the UN.
“Specifically regarding Xinjiang, it is evident that many problematic laws and practices persist. We have once again urged the authorities to conduct a comprehensive review of the national security and counterterrorism legal framework from a human rights perspective and to enhance protections for minorities against discrimination,” said Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The statement was made ahead of the second anniversary of a damning report that called for Beijing to address severe human rights violations in Xinjiang. The report, released just before Turk’s predecessor, Michelle Bachelet, left office, had claimed that the Chinese government’s treatment of Uighurs and other ethnic Muslims “may constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity.”
Satellite images, leaked documents, and eyewitness testimonies have been cited by the US and human rights organizations as evidence that over a million Uighurs have faced mass detentions, political indoctrination, and forced labor. The Chinese government denies these allegations.
On Tuesday, Shamdasani emphasized that “allegations of human rights abuses, including torture, must be thoroughly investigated.” She noted that an OHCHR delegation visited China in June and engaged in discussions with officials about counterterrorism measures and the criminal justice system.
Discussions have also covered “counterterrorism laws, criminal justice issues, and policies affecting the human rights of ethnic and religious minorities,” including in Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as “national security and human rights concerns in Hong Kong.”
The OHCHR has persistently highlighted individual cases of concern, urging the Chinese government to release arbitrarily detained individuals and provide clarity about those whose families have been trying to locate them, Shamdasani added.
The Chinese mission to the UN in Geneva did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Bachelet report had called for “urgent action” from China, the UN, and the international community to address the human rights situation in Xinjiang. In response, the US and EU have implemented legislation targeting the import of goods produced through forced labor in the region, a claim Beijing disputes. The EU’s prohibition, although not explicitly naming Xinjiang, is set to take effect in three years.
Despite these measures, data from Chinese customs reveals a 170.6 percent increase in the EU’s direct imports from Xinjiang in July compared to the previous year. The US and EU have also imposed sanctions on Chinese officials accused of enforcing oppressive policies in Xinjiang.
In Europe, these sanctions led to a diplomatic impasse, ultimately derailing a long-negotiated investment agreement. Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, indicated that the deal could not proceed while sanctions on EU lawmakers remain, stating, “There has been a change in the composition of the MEPs who were sanctioned, but the new ones are unlikely to alter their stance. Without a reduction in sanctions, I cannot recommend the agreement’s ratification.”
Uighur activists have expressed cautious optimism about the OHCHR’s statement but remain critical of the lack of concrete actions from China. “China has yet to implement any recommendations from the OHCHR, and independent investigations continue to face significant obstacles,” said Rayhan Asat, a Uighur human rights lawyer whose brother spent three years in solitary confinement in Xinjiang.