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August 15, 2018

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China hits out at ‘false’ Xinjiang reports

CHINA yesterday criticized some foreign media for smearing its anti-terrorism and crime-fighting measures in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, saying their reports are driven by ulterior motives.

“Some anti-China forces have made false accusations against China for political purposes,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a written statement in Beijing.

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) reviewed the situation in China at its 96th session in Geneva on Friday and Monday.

The CERD is a body of independent experts that monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination by its state parties. Governments are obliged to submit regular reports to it on how the rights are being implemented.

Lu said the Chinese delegation had given a detailed account of China’s new progress in protecting the rights of ethnic minorities and the CERD affirmed the efforts and achievements made by the Chinese government.

He said some foreign media have misrepresented the deliberations of the CERD and smeared China’s anti-terrorism and anti-crime measures in Xinjiang.

At present, the overall situation in Xinjiang is stable, the momentum of its economic development sound, and all ethnic groups there live in harmony, Lu added.

“The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang cherish their happy and peaceful life,” he insisted.

Speaking on Monday, Hu Lianhe, a member of the Chinese delegation to the CERD, said there are no arbitrary detentions in Xinjiang and the view that the region is a “no-rights zone” is completely against fact.

During a dialogue between the Chinese delegation and CERD members, Hu said the freedom and dignity, economic and social rights, civil and political rights and other rights of all the ethnic groups in Xinjiang are fully guaranteed by law and in practice.

“There are no such things as ‘re-education centers’ or ‘counter-extremism training centers’ in Xinjiang,” the official said.

Xinjiang, a victim of terrorism which is making an effort to protect the life and property of all ethnic groups, has undertaken special campaigns to crack down on violent terrorist activities, put on trial and imprisoned a number of criminals according to the law, he insisted.

“With respect to persons involved only in minor offenses, the authority provides them with assistance and education by assigning them to vocational education and employment training centers to acquire employment skills and legal knowledge, with a view to assisting their rehabilitation and reintegration,” Hu said.

He added that the legal rights of persons assigned to vocational training centers are duly protected and they are not subject to any arbitrary detention, let alone ill treatment there.

“The claim that ‘a million Uygurs are detained in re-education centers’ is completely untrue,” the Chinese official said.

Xinjiang is firmly committed to combating terrorism, extremism and separatism according to the law, and opposes linking anti-terrorism, anti-extremism and anti-secession to specific ethnic groups or religions, Hu added.




 

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