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BEIJING (AP) — The U.N. high human rights official mentioned Saturday that she raised issues with Chinese language officers concerning the impression of the broad utility of counterterrorism and deradicalization measures on the rights of Uyghurs and different predominantly Muslim teams in China’s Xinjiang area.
Michelle Bachelet, who visited Xinjiang as a part of a six-day journey to China, mentioned the go to was not an investigation however a possibility to boost issues with senior Chinese language leaders and pave the way in which for extra common interactions to assist China in fulfilling its obligations beneath worldwide human rights legislation.
“It gives a possibility for me to raised perceive the state of affairs in China, but additionally for the authorities in China to raised perceive our issues and to doubtlessly rethink insurance policies that we imagine might impression negatively on human rights,” she mentioned in a video information convention on the ultimate day of her journey.
It is unsure whether or not China’s ruling Communist Social gathering, which has vehemently denied all studies of human rights violations and genocide in Xinjiang, would change its polices. Bachelet’s measured phrases, whereas anticipated, will seemingly not sit effectively with activists and governments resembling the USA, which have been crucial of her choice to go to Xinjiang.
Bachelet, making the primary go to by a U.N. excessive commissioner for human rights to China in 17 years, mentioned she raised the dearth of unbiased judicial oversight for a system of internment camps that swept up one million or extra Uyghurs and different ethnic minorities, in accordance with estimates by consultants.
China, which describes the camps as vocational coaching and schooling facilities to fight extremism, says they’ve been closed. The federal government has by no means publicly mentioned how many individuals handed by way of them.
Bachelet, who visited a jail and former heart within the Xinjiang metropolis of Kashgar, famous that this system relied on police to find out “tendencies towards extremism” and the allegations of use of pressure on the facilities and unduly extreme restrictions on spiritual follow.
“It’s crucial that counterterrorism responses don’t end in human rights violations,” she mentioned. “The applying of related legal guidelines and insurance policies and any necessary measures … must be topic to unbiased judicial oversight with larger transparency in judicial proceedings,” she mentioned.
Earlier than her journey, she mentioned she heard from Uyghur households residing overseas which have misplaced contact with their family members. In her conferences in China, she mentioned she raised various particular instances and appealed to authorities to take steps to supply info to households as a matter of precedence.
“To those that have despatched me appeals asking me to boost points or instances with the authorities, I heard you,” she mentioned. “Your advocacy issues.”
The U.N. and China agreed to arrange a working group to carry follow-up discussions on a spread of points, together with the rights of minorities, counterterrorism and human rights, and authorized safety, Bachelet mentioned.
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