As China celebrates, rights groups urge focus on abuses

Issued on: 01/10/2019 – 11:00

Beijing (AFP)

As Communist China celebrated 70 years since its founding Tuesday, human rights groups called for the international community to focus instead on the country’s human rights record, particularly its treatment of ethnic minorities.

A huge military parade marched through the streets of Beijing to mark the October 1 anniversary, after a speech from President Xi Jinping in which he promised that “no force” could stop China forging ahead.

But a number of rights groups have taken the opportunity of the key date to draw attention to human rights abuses by the authoritarian state.

The US-based Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) said in a statement that the day was “not an occasion to celebrate” but an opportunity to “voice opposition to the Chinese government’s denial of fundamental human rights.”

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