The U.S. Secretary of State, along with the Canadian Foreign Minister and British Foreign Secretary, issued a joint statement on Xinjiang on Monday (March 22) expressing concern about human rights abuses by the Chinese government in Xinjiang against the Uighur and other Muslim minorities. On the same day, the foreign ministers of New Zealand and Australia also issued statements saying there is clear evidence of serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Meanwhile, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and Canada announced sanctions against Chinese officials who violated the rights of Uighurs.
The following is a translation of the full text of the joint U.S.-U.K.-Canada statement and is accompanied by a full translation of the joint Australia-New Zealand statement.
Joint Statement on Xinjiang
The Canadian Foreign Minister, the British Foreign Secretary and the U.S. Secretary of State issued a statement that reads
We, the Canadian Foreign Minister, together with the British Foreign Secretary and the U.S. Secretary of State, express our deep and continuing concern about China’s human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang. The evidence, including from the Chinese government’s own documents, satellite imagery and eyewitness testimony, is overwhelming. China’s widespread program of repression includes severe restrictions on religious freedom, the use of forced labor, the detention of large numbers of people in internment camps, forced sterilization, and the coordinated destruction of Uighur heritage.
Today, we are coordinating our actions and taking measures, in parallel with those taken by the European Union, to send a clear message about the human rights violations and abuses taking place in Xinjiang. We stand united in calling on China to end repression against Uighur Muslims and other ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang, and to release those who are being arbitrarily detained.
We stress the importance of transparency and accountability and call on China to grant the international community, including independent UN investigators, journalists and foreign diplomats, unhindered access to Xinjiang.
We will continue to stand together to expose human rights violations in China. We stand in solidarity to call for justice for those who have suffered in Xinjiang.
Joint Statement on Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang
The Honourable Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Foreign Affairs of New Zealand, and the Honourable Senator Marise Payne, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women’s Affairs of Australia, today issued the following joint statement.
The Governments of New Zealand and Australia today reiterate their serious concerns about the increasing number of reports of serious human rights abuses against the Uighur and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. In particular, there is clear evidence of serious human rights abuses, including restrictions on religious freedom, extensive surveillance, mass extrajudicial detention, and forced labour and forced Family planning, including sterilisation.
New Zealand and Australia welcome the measures announced overnight by Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States. We share the deep concerns of these countries, which are shared by communities across New Zealand and Australia.
Australia and New Zealand have been calling on China to respect the human rights of the Uighur people and other religious and ethnic minorities at the UN since reports of detention camps in Xinjiang began to emerge in 2018.
Today, we emphasize the importance of transparency and accountability and reiterate our call for China to grant meaningful and unhindered access to UN experts and other independent observers in Xinjiang.
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