Congressional China report applies “crimes against humanity” framework to Uyghur persecution
January 15, 2021, 5:18 p.m. EST
For Immediate Release
Contact: Omer Kanat +1 (202) 790-1795, Peter Irwin +1 (646) 906-7722
The 2020 annual report issued by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China reflects the severity of the ongoing human rights crisis in East Turkistan, stating:
The Commission observed additional evidence this past year that Chinese government persecution of ethnic minorities in the XUAR constituted crimes against humanity. As in the previous reporting year, international observers and human rights organizations argued in support of applying the ‘‘crimes against humanity” framework to the persecution of Uyghurs and other Turkic and Muslim ethnic minorities in the XUAR.
“The 2020 CECC report puts down a marker that decision makers cannot ignore, said UHRP Executive Director Omer Kanat in a statement. “It is past time to hold China accountable.”
The report provides a table showing the acts listed in Article 7(1) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court alongside the human rights violations in East Turkistan, giving a concise picture of massive atrocity crimes in the region.
The report also details harassment and coercion of Uyghurs abroad in 2020, citing the work of UHRP and others. The report finds that “identified agents of the Chinese government intimidated and harassed” Uyghurs in the U.S. and around the world, through threats and cases of retaliation against family members and acquaintances still in China.
In the section on environment and climate change, the CECC report points out that the appointment of Sun Jinlong, former Party Secretary of the XPCC, as Party Secretary and Vice Minister of Ecology and the Environment represents a “lack of accountability of Chinese officials in other areas [that] may impact the ability of the U.S. Government to work with them on issues impacting environmental cooperation.” The section also highlights the case of former Xinjiang University President Tashpolat Teyip, who was reportedly sentenced to death in a secret trial, one of many egregious cases of persecution of Uyghur scholars.
The report also highlights the critical issue of corporate complicity in crimes against humanity taking place in East Turkistan. The report states that companies have both a moral responsibility and a financial interest in honestly assessing the risk that they may be contributing to human rights abuses in China. It further recommends that Members of Congress encourage companies in their districts cease doing business with firms in the Uyghur Region until the Chinese government closes the mass internment camps and ends government-sponsored forced labor programs.
UHRP is grateful to CECC for its comprehensive and up-to-date assessment. “We are honored that our research on numerous topics has served as a trusted source for this important report,” said Kanat.
UHRP urges the Congress to re-introduce and pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act on an expedited basis, and endorses the report’s recommendations to the U.S. Congress and Administration officials, including pressing the Chinese government to end its abuses; prioritizing engagement with other governments, multilateral organizations and NGOs; encouraging US universities to ensure that their Uyghur and other students are in a safe environment; and issuing “a determination on whether atrocities are being committed in the XUAR and ensure that the interagency Atrocity Early Warning Task Force implements policies throughout the U.S. Government to respond to atrocities in the XUAR.”
Read more:
CECC REPORT: Global Supply Chains, Forced Labor, and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region