Home PodcastJulie Alli UN votes against debate on the Uyghurs but all is not lost

UN votes against debate on the Uyghurs but all is not lost

by Salaamedia Intern
The Human Rights Comission has effectively closed the gate on the Uyghur matter Photo Pexels

Uyghur – The United Nations has voted to turn its back on a report written by its own human rights commissioner. In a true show of Chinese political power, the report, which accuses Beijing of serious human rights abuses against the Uyghurs, will not be debated at the UN. 

In what will no doubt be a surprise to the world, the 47 UN human rights council voted in Geneva on Thursday by 19 to 17 to reject an American-led call for a debate on the report. Eleven decided to abstain from the vote. Those who did vote against it have their own various reasons, explained EU Policy Coordinator at World Uyghur Congress Koen Stoop.

“These violations are no longer allegations of violations. They have been very clearly established and researched. China holds incredibly strong diplomatic and economic power over many of the countries that voted against [the debate]. It is interesting to see that a large majority of the votes comes from the global South where China has a lot of economic leverage. We believe that is one of the main reasons why these countries decided to vote against.”

What really solidified the defeat and showed the political power China was Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia refusing to back the inquiry. Indonesia being the largest Muslim country made it known at the meeting in Geneva that it would not abandon its Uyghur Muslim brothers. However, they then rejected the call for the debate. Stoop labelled them as hypocritical for their stance on the matter.

 

The vote can’t be appealed but there are other solutions for the Uyghurs

What has taken place at the Human Rights Council cannot be undone. Western diplomats had admitted before the voting that the outcome would come down to fine margins. The outcome would rest in the hands of the swing states. Although the matter is done and dusted at the Human Rights Council, Stoop assured there are other options to take at the UN.

“In response to the outcome of the vote the World Congress and also more than 60 other Uyghur groups worldwide have issued a statement in which they called on other UN bodies and experts to use their mandates to address this crisis. That means that in the coming months, but also during the next Human Rights Council session, a lot of action can still happen. That’s where our focus is. That’s what we are focusing on right now. Even though we are super disappointed at the outcome, we’re still working twice as hard to make sure that this issue is meaningfully addressed at the United Nations.”

SMread: Watch out for the health impacts of stress

 

What the victory means for China

China sees the rejection for the debate as a win in terms of their democracy and freedom. However, with so many nations abstaining and rejecting the debate, it could motivate China to become even bolder with their actions. Stoop believes it can either go that way or China will realise the world is not turning a blind eye to its actions and may be more cautious.

“On the one hand I think China does see this as a victory. In various statements it has welcomed the vote at the Human Rights Council. You can see this as some way of giving the green light for the Chinese government to continue its abuses because what the vote at the United Nations has shown is that the world apparently does not want to speak out … On other hand I think the debate at the Human Rights Council and the fact that its resolution was tabled in the first place shows that there’s a number of countries that do see the urgency in this situation.”

The small margin of victory should make China understand there are those who are opposed to such behaviours. Even though the vote went their way, the small margin gives Stoop hope that perhaps China will take it as a wake up call.

“While you know this vote might have gone their way in the end, there are an adequate number of countries that are concerned. In that way China should be more aware of what it is doing and should address it meaningfully itself as well.”

 

Stopping the importation of cotton from China

Surprisingly, it has been the United States that has taken a stance against China. From bringing up the debate to now declaring they won’t be importing cotton from China’s Uyghur state. However, the UK and other European nations have not taken that stance. Stoop understands all nations need to take this stance and hopes the recommendation will be listened to by other nations. 

“That is also one of our main recommendations to governments worldwide to stop importing goods from the Uyghur region since they are at enormously high risk to be made with Uygur force labour which is yet another aspect of the crisis. People always hear about the internment camps and everything going on in these camps but at the same time there’s a very extensive system of state imposed forced labour. Uyghurs taken away from their communities or those who are in the camps are forced to work and produce goods that are sold all over the world.”

SMread: Joburg residents living with loadshedding and water crisis

 

Self-determination for the Uyghurs

Self-determination is extremely important. It denotes the legal right of people to decide their own destiny in the international order. At the moment, this is out of the question for the Uyghurs Stoop believes. First, the camps must be shut as well as other things before self-determination can even be talked about.

“Our immediate concern is these human rights violations. The concentration camps must be closed, the system of forced labour must be shut down, the violations against weaker women such as forced sterilizations and abortions, these must be ended. The political prisoners must be unconditionally released. I think a discussion about self-determination is something that we should have in the future but only when these immediate concerns are addressed.”

For now, the activists and Uyghurs will continue to apply pressure on the UN and nations in a bid to have the matter looked at. The evidence against China is far too substantial and is piling up. For change to come, nations will have to put the welfare of human beings over their own political and economical ambitions. Until this doesn’t happen, there is a fear the situation will only get worse overtime.

Related Videos