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US Leads Condemnation of China for 'Horrific' Repression of Muslims

Reuters

   NEW YORK - The United States led more than 30 countries on Tuesday in
   condemning what it called China's "horrific campaign of repression"
   against Muslims in the western region of Xinjiang at an event on the
   sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly that was denounced by
   China.

   In highlighting abuses against ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims in
   China, Assistant Secretary of State John Sullivan said the United
   Nations and its member states had "a singular responsibility to speak
   up when survivor after survivor recounts the horrors of state
   repression."

   Sullivan said it was incumbent on U.N. member states to ensure the
   world body was able to closely monitor human rights abuses by China and
   added that it must seek "immediate, unhindered, and unmonitored" access
   to Xinjiang for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR).

   Sullivan said Tuesday's event was co-sponsored by Canada, Germany, the
   Netherlands and Britain, and was joined by more than 30 U.N. states,
   representatives of the European Union and more than 20 nongovernmental
   organizations, as well as Uighur victims.

   "We invite others to join the international effort to demand and compel
   an immediate end to China's horrific campaign of repression," he said.
   "History will judge the international community for how we respond to
   this attack on human rights and fundamental freedoms."

   Paola Pampaloni, deputy managing director for Asia of the European
   External Action Service, said the EU was "alarmed" by the situation and
   also urged "meaningful" access to Xinjiang.

   "We are concerned about ... information about mistreatment and
   torture," she said. "China is always inviting us to the camps under
   their conditions, we are in negotiations right now for terms and
   conditions for free access."

   Tuesday's event focusing on Xinjiang came a day after U.S. President
   Donald Trump called for an end to religious persecution at another
   gathering on the sidelines of the gathering of world leaders, comments
   he reiterated in his speech to the assembly on Tuesday.

   Trump, who has been cautious about upsetting China on human rights
   issues while making a major trade deal with Beijing an overarching
   priority, did not mention the Uighur situation specifically, but said
   religious freedom was under growing threat around the world.

   "Americans will never .. tire in our effort to promote freedom of
   worship and religion. We want and support religious liberty for all."
   he told the assembly on Tuesday.

   A spokesperson for the Chinese delegation to the high-level meeting of
   the U.N. General Assembly accused Washington of violating the U.N.
   Charter by criticizing China at Monday's religious freedom meeting and
   Tuesday's event.

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