39 Western Countries Including the US, UK, and Germany Urge China to "Respect Human Rights"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 6th (local time), Bloomberg and other media reported that 39 Western countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany strongly criticized China's human rights issues and urged respect for the human rights of ethnic minorities and the guarantee of Hong Kong's autonomy.

According to the report, 39 countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan issued a joint statement on the day urging China to allow UN human rights experts access to the Xinjiang region, stop the detention of Uyghurs, guarantee Hong Kong's autonomy, and ensure the independence of Hong Kong's judiciary.

In the statement, these countries pointed out, "More than one million people are detained in large-scale political re-education camps located in Xinjiang, and reports of human rights violations are increasing," adding, "Freedom of religion, belief, assembly, association, and expression is severely restricted." Regarding Hong Kong, they urged the guarantee of freedom of the press, publication, and assembly in accordance with international human rights covenants and the Hong Kong handover agreement.

Christoph Heusgen, the German Ambassador to the UN, read the statement at the UN Human Rights Council meeting on the day, saying, "The increase in Western support for the Uyghurs shows hope for human rights and the Uyghur issue. The world is paying attention to the Chinese government's policies toward the Uyghurs."

In response, 55 countries including Pakistan immediately issued a counter-statement urging non-interference in China's internal affairs regarding Hong Kong. Another separate statement by 45 countries including Cuba claimed that China's Xinjiang policy is aimed at combating terrorism and complies with human rights regulations. Countries that signed both statements simultaneously included North Korea, Russia, Syria, and Venezuela.

Jiang Jun, the Chinese Ambassador to the UN, criticized Western countries for politicizing human rights issues and provoking political confrontation. Ambassador Jiang said, "The United States, the United Kingdom, and others are slandering China, spreading false information, and interfering in China's internal affairs," adding, "China firmly opposes this."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.