China expresses outrage over British report on Uyghur rights abuse
Jul 11, 2021
London [UK], July 11 : China has expressed outrage and firm opposition to a report published by a group of British lawmakers, urging the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson-led government to take action against Beijing over its treatment of the Uyghur community in Xinjiang province.
Chinese Embassy in Britain on Saturday said the report, is "full of lies" about China's Xinjiang, and represents a blatant interference in its internal affairs.
On a question about the report "Never Again: The UK's Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond", a spokesperson said it is "nothing but a pack of disinformation."
This reaction follows a report published by a committee of the lower house of the British Parliament that had urged the UK government to take tough action against China over Uyghur rights abuses.
The cross-party committee, led by Conservative leader Tom Tugendhat, said in a report that the atrocities being committed in Xinjiang represent an international crisis of profound urgency, making it unconscionable for any civilised government to look the other way.
"The evidence of severe human rights abuses and crimes against the Uyghur people is already overwhelming and indisputable, and Parliament has called it genocide," Tugendhat said.
The report by UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee has called on the UK government to explore a ban on the import of all cotton products known to be produced in whole or in part in Xinjiang.
In their 37-page report, the British lawmakers said the UK Government should ensure that the Chinese government faces consequences at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for its crimes in Xinjiang.
The report called on the UK government to increase pressure on the Chinese government to allow international observers access to Xinjiang, especially the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "As an alternative, the Committee recommends a UN investigation taking place from outside of China," the report said.
It further stated that the government should use every opportunity it has at the UN organs, summits and treaty bodies to call for the immediate disbandment of the camps.
Despite mounting evidence, Beijing continues to deny the grave human rights violation in Xinjiang.
