The United States Donald Trump has been urged to take a stronger stance in condemning the treatment of Muslim minorities in the far western region of Xinjiang in China in a legislation which was introduced in the Congress by a bipartisan group of lawmakers. The proposed legislation cited “pervasive human rights abuses across Xinjiang” while it was brought in.
The Trump administration was urged to call on Chinese President Xi Jinping “to recognise the profound abuse and likely lasting damage of China’s current policies, and immediately close the ‘political re-education’ camps” in the bill that is slated to also be presented to the US House and Senate in similar versions.
Lawmakers including Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, and Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey. Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Republican, and Tom Suozzi of New York, a Democrat, was part of the group that had introduced the legislation in the House which also contains possibility of sanctions against China over the issue.
A provision for development of reports for the Congress related to security risks, protection of US citizens from intimidation, Chinese efforts at disinformation and the chances of abuses has also been included in the legislation and such reports would be prepared by the US State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other federal agencies.
Identification of the Chinese companies that have the role in the camps and preparation of reports n such companies by the agencies has also been urged in the legislation. It also called on the FBI to take necessary measures against any efforts of intimidation of the Uygurs living in the US by any Chinese government officials or representatives.
The legislation also urged a response to the situation from a new US “special coordinator for Xinjiang” which should include putting a ban on any form of technology exports from the US to China or elsewhere that could potentially be used for conducting surveillance and detaining Uygurs by Chinese agencies.
“The internment of over a million Uygurs and other Muslims in China is a staggering evil and should be treated by the international community as a crime against humanity,” said Smith, who is also co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “The Chinese government’s creation of a vast system of what can only be called concentration camps cannot be tolerated in the 21st century.”
There are growing concerns among Democratic and Republican lawmakers in recent times about the abuse of human rights by China. It is amidst this background that the legislation has been introduced.
Muslim minorities have been historically meted out harsh treatment in China. But in the Xinjiang region, which is the area where a large number of Uygur Muslims live, there has been increasing tensions over the issue in recent years. Unconfirmed reports have claimed that the so called “re-education camps” in the province now house as many as 1 million Uygurs.
The accusations have been shrugged off by China and it has urged the US as well as other countries to not interfere in the internal matters of the country.
(Source:www.scmp.com)
The Trump administration was urged to call on Chinese President Xi Jinping “to recognise the profound abuse and likely lasting damage of China’s current policies, and immediately close the ‘political re-education’ camps” in the bill that is slated to also be presented to the US House and Senate in similar versions.
Lawmakers including Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, and Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey. Representatives Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Republican, and Tom Suozzi of New York, a Democrat, was part of the group that had introduced the legislation in the House which also contains possibility of sanctions against China over the issue.
A provision for development of reports for the Congress related to security risks, protection of US citizens from intimidation, Chinese efforts at disinformation and the chances of abuses has also been included in the legislation and such reports would be prepared by the US State Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other federal agencies.
Identification of the Chinese companies that have the role in the camps and preparation of reports n such companies by the agencies has also been urged in the legislation. It also called on the FBI to take necessary measures against any efforts of intimidation of the Uygurs living in the US by any Chinese government officials or representatives.
The legislation also urged a response to the situation from a new US “special coordinator for Xinjiang” which should include putting a ban on any form of technology exports from the US to China or elsewhere that could potentially be used for conducting surveillance and detaining Uygurs by Chinese agencies.
“The internment of over a million Uygurs and other Muslims in China is a staggering evil and should be treated by the international community as a crime against humanity,” said Smith, who is also co-chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “The Chinese government’s creation of a vast system of what can only be called concentration camps cannot be tolerated in the 21st century.”
There are growing concerns among Democratic and Republican lawmakers in recent times about the abuse of human rights by China. It is amidst this background that the legislation has been introduced.
Muslim minorities have been historically meted out harsh treatment in China. But in the Xinjiang region, which is the area where a large number of Uygur Muslims live, there has been increasing tensions over the issue in recent years. Unconfirmed reports have claimed that the so called “re-education camps” in the province now house as many as 1 million Uygurs.
The accusations have been shrugged off by China and it has urged the US as well as other countries to not interfere in the internal matters of the country.
(Source:www.scmp.com)
