File photo shows a watchtower on a heavily guarded facility on the outskirts of Hotan, Xinjiang, China, believed to be a reeducation-through-labor camp where the Uighur Muslim minority is detained. (May 31, 2019)
Twenty-four non-governmental organizations working on human and civil rights sent a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday (Feb. 17) asking the U.S. government to make human rights a priority in U.S.-China Policy.
The joint letter says the international community needs to fundamentally stop the Chinese government’s human rights abuses both inside and outside its borders because many of the tools previously used against China’s human rights abuses are no longer relevant or powerful enough. The joint letter welcomes recent statements by senior U.S. officials, including President Biden, National Security Advisor Sullivan and Secretary of State Blinken, regarding human rights violations in China.
The joint letter makes seven recommendations to President Biden and his administration, including
Make human rights a priority in China policy. The joint letter recommends that when meeting with top Chinese officials, senior U.S. officials demand the release of illegally detained individuals and that China reform its practices of abusive laws and restrictions on Internet and media freedoms.
Play an active role in international bodies that can promote human rights in China. The joint letter argues that the Chinese government has weakened key international human rights bodies, particularly the UN Human Rights Council. The participating NGOs are encouraged by the U.S. decision to reengage with the UN Human Rights Council and increase support for its mechanisms, urging the U.S. to urgently support an international investigation into China’s human rights abuses against Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in Xinjiang.
Provide strong support to human rights defenders and civil society activists across China. The joint letter recommends that President Biden and his administration prioritize building strong ties with activists, independent writers, journalists, scholars, lawyers, and leaders of persecuted ethnic and religious minorities, and commit to helping them when they are targeted by Chinese persecution.
Consider the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing as a diplomatic affair. The joint letter said the United States should avoid sending high-profile or senior officials to Olympic events in light of the Chinese government’s serious human rights abuses and the IOC’s reluctance to conduct human rights investigations around the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The joint letter recommends that the U.S. government should begin informing athletes and others attending the Games of the risks they face, particularly with regard to China’s technological surveillance and severe restrictions on free speech rights.
The other three recommendations were to maintain current targeted sanctions, counter Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party propaganda and make a strict distinction between the Chinese government and the Chinese people in the government’s public statements and policies.
The letter concludes that Xi Jinping and his government are violating human rights on a scale unprecedented in decades. The letter urges that “your government’s actions and response are critical to stopping – and perhaps even reversing – this crisis.” “Our organizations look forward to working with you and your government in this urgent task.”
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