HUMAN RIGHTS – A bill denouncing the “genocide” of the Uyghurs was passed almost unanimously in the National Assembly on Thursday.
The editorial staff of LCI –
The text was adopted almost unanimously this Thursday in the National Assembly. 169 deputies out of 175 voted to adopt a resolution denouncing the “genocide” of the Uyghurs by China. They ask the government to do the same, a few days before the opening of the Beijing Winter Olympics.
Defended at the podium by the First Secretary of the PS Olivier Faure within the framework of a day reserved for the socialist group, the proposal stipulates that the Assembly “officially recognizes the violence perpetrated by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China against the Uyghurs as constituting crimes against humanity and genocide”, and the “sentenced”.
During his speech, Olivier Faure denounced “the implacable machine which aims at the cultural and biological eradication of a people”, and also lambasted major Western companies and brands “who continue to use forced labor” of this Turkish-speaking Muslim community in the Chinese province of Xinjiang (northwest). At the end of June, an investigation for “concealment of crimes against humanity” was opened by the “Crimes against humanity” unit of the National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office in France. It targets Uniqlo France, Inditex (brands Zara, Bershka etc), SMCP (Sandro, Maje, de Fursac) and Skechers.
Human rights organizations accuse China of having locked up more than a million Muslims in political re-education camps. The Uyghurs are particularly targeted after a series of attacks attributed to Islamists and separatists. Beijing says the camps are actually vocational training centers meant to steer them away from radicalization.
The government is reluctant to use the term “genocide”
The Assembly “invites the French government” to do the same and adopt “the necessary measures with the international community and in its foreign policy towards the People’s Republic of China” to put an end to this situation.
On behalf of the government, the Minister for Foreign Trade Franck Riester spoke of “systematic violence” and “overwhelming testimonials”, but argues that the formal qualification of genocide was a matter for international bodies, not the government. He assured that the fate of this community was “mentioned at the highest level” during interviews with Chinese officials and recalled that it had been mentioned the day before in President Emmanuel Macron’s speech to the European Parliament.
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For the Beijing Olympics, which will be held from February 4 to 20, the United States, Australia, Canada and Great Britain have announced that they will not send official representatives there, citing “the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights violations” among the reasons for this decision. Athletes from these countries will, on the other hand, be in the running from February 4.
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