The United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published an assessment of the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China on Aug. 31. The assessment was initiated after serious allegations of human rights violations against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim communities have been brought to the attention of the UN Human Rights Office and UN human rights mechanisms since late 2017, particularly in the context of the Chinese government’s counterterrorism and “extremism” policies and actions.
The assessment was based on a rigorous review of the documentary material currently available to the office, the credibility of which was assessed in accordance with standard human rights methodology. Particular attention was paid to the government’s own laws, policies, data, and statements. The Office also requested information and engaged in dialogue and technical exchanges with China throughout the process. The information was assessed against applicable international human rights law and draws on the work of several UN human rights mechanisms.
The publication detailed several issues related to the topic, including China’s legal and policy framework for countering terrorism and “extremism,” for which the UN describes laws and regulations as vague and poorly defined.
The assessment found a pattern of large-scale arbitrary detention in VETCs (vocational education and training centers) facilities from at least 2017 to 2019. According to the UN, the “placements” could be considered a form of “deprivation of liberty” of those placed there.
Concerning labor, the UN noted that China has implemented some important labor law reforms as part of its poverty reduction programs that were intended to strengthen protections against forced labor; however, the government has closely linked these programs to preventing and countering religious “extremism,” potentially underpinning reports of forced labor among Uyghur and other Muslim minorities, which the UN said, “raises concerns in terms of the extent to which such programs can be considered fully voluntary in such contexts.”
The report recommended that China take further necessary steps and assist the international community, for example, in clarifying the whereabouts of missing persons, reviewing the counterterrorism framework, and investigating human rights violations in professional training.
Based on the available information, the OHCHR said in a conclusion it could not draw definitive conclusions at this stage regarding the exact extent of the violations. Still, it was clear that the highly secured and discriminatory nature of VETCs, coupled with limited access to effective remedies or oversight by the authorities, provides fertile ground for such violations on a broad scale.
The full assessment and the Chinese government’s response can be found here.
