China has reportedly asked the United Nations human rights chief to conceal an upcoming report on human rights violations in Xinjiang, while expressing "grave" concerns about the consequences of such a release, according to Reuters.
Three diplomats from three separate nations have reportedly confirmed the authenticity of the Chinese letter featured in Reuters' story.
That letter, which was sent to United Nations High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet, included this excerpt:
"The assessment [on Xinjiang], if published, will intensify politicisation and bloc confrontation in the area of human rights, undermine the credibility of the OHCHR [Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights], and harm the cooperation between OHCHR and member states."
The letter also had one final plea to Bachelet's office: "We strongly urge Madame High Commissioner not to publish such an assessment."
According to Newsweek, some members of the Chinese government have already viewed contents of the U.N. report. As such, the letter to Bachelet wasn't merely speculating on what the report might contain.
In May, Bachelet reportedly faced "severe criticism" for being lenient with China during a spring visit; and that public backlash might have contributed to the U.N. chief retiring from her post, or declining a second term, effective next month.
In the meantime, Bachelet has pledged to release the human rights report while still holding an esteemed position with the U.N.
As Newsmax wrote on July 2, chronicling host Greta Van Susteren's exclusive TV interview with Rushan Abbas, a human rights activist, China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity — including possible genocide — involving the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the region of Xinjiang.
Also, human rights groups believe China has detained millions of Uyghurs against their will over the past few years, harboring them in a network of "reeducation camps," and sentencing the Uyghurs to prison terms.
"[The Uyghur prisoners] are subject to inhumane treatment," Abbas said to Newsmax in early July, noting the prisoners are often deprived of food, water, and sleep. They also suffer from poor hygiene, the result of 40 to 50 people being herded in one room together, added Abbas.
"[The prisoners] are not given the opportunity to drink enough water," said Abbas, while saying the lack of sufficient food, water, sleep, and proper restroom facilities is a true test "of how long the internal organs can last."
Abbas also said the Chinese government — which doesn't support religion, characterizing it as a "mental disease," she says — has demolished mosques and anything else associated with organized religion.
"Basically waging a war on Islam," said Abbas.
According to Reuters, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson recently said that Bachelet would have witnessed a "real Xinjiang with a safe and stable society" during her visit to the country, while adding that human rights groups have been continually working to "smear China's image."
For an oral report to the Human Rights Council in June, Bachelet reportedly said, "We had discussions on specific human rights concerns, including human rights violations in the context of China's policies for countering terrorism and safeguarding national security," but ultimately were "unable to assess the full scale" of China's reeducation policies in the region.
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