U.N. body rejects debate on China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims in blow to West

The U.N. rights assembly connected Thursday voted down a Western-led question to clasp a statement astir alleged quality rights abuses by China against Uyghurs and different Muslims successful Xinjiang successful a triumph for Beijing arsenic it seeks to debar further scrutiny.

The decision — 19 against, 17 for, 11 abstentions — is lone the 2nd clip successful the council's 16-year past that a question has been rejected and is seen by observers arsenic a setback to some accountability efforts, the West's motivation authorization connected quality rights and the credibility of the United Nations itself.

The United States, Canada and Britain were among the countries that brought the motion.

"This is simply a disaster. This is truly disappointing," said Dolkun Isa, president of the World Uyghur Congress, whose parent died successful a campy and whose 2 brothers are missing.

"We volition ne'er springiness up but we are truly disappointed by the absorption of Muslim countries," helium added.
Qatar, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan rejected the motion, with the second citing the hazard of alienating China. Phil Lynch, manager of the International Service for Human Rights, called the voting grounds "shameful" on Twitter.

"Xinjiang-related issues are not quality rights issues astatine all, but issues of counter-terrorism, de-radicalization and anti-separatism," said China's overseas ministry precocious connected Thursday.

The question was an effort by the United States and immoderate Western countries to "use the UN quality rights assemblage to interfere successful China's interior affairs," said the overseas ministry successful a station connected its authoritative website.

China's envoy had warned earlier the ballot that the question would make a precedent for examining different countries' quality rights records.

"Today China is targeted. Tomorrow immoderate different processing state volition beryllium targeted," said Chen Xu, adding that a statement would pb to "new confrontations."

The U.N. rights bureau connected Aug. 31 released a long-delayed report that recovered superior quality rights violations successful Xinjiang that whitethorn represent crimes against humanity, ramping up unit connected China.

Rights groups impeach Beijing of abuses against Uyghurs, a chiefly Muslim taste number that numbers astir 10 cardinal successful the occidental portion of Xinjiang, including the wide usage of forced labour successful internment camps. The United States has accused China of genocide. Beijing vigorously denies immoderate abuses.

The question is the archetypal clip that the rights grounds of China, a almighty imperishable Security Council member, has been connected the council's agenda. The point has stoked divisions and a diplomat said states were nether "enormous pressure" from Beijing to backmost China.

Countries similar Britain, the United States and Germany, vowed to proceed to enactment towards accountability contempt Thursday's outcome. 

But activists said the decision of specified a constricted motion, which stopped abbreviated of seeking an investigation, would marque it hard to enactment it backmost connected the agenda.

Universal Rights Group's Marc Limon said it was a "serious miscalculation," citing the timing which coincides with a Western-led question for action connected Russia.

"It's a superior stroke for the credibility of the assembly and a wide triumph for China," helium said. "Many processing countries volition spot it arsenic an accommodation distant from Western predominance successful the U.N. quality rights system."

The lawsuit raised governmental dilemmas for galore mediocre countries successful the 47-member assembly who are loath to publically defy China for fearfulness of jeopardizing investment.