UK Research Group: "China's Uyghur Policy Constitutes Genocide"

(Photo by BBC)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] A British research organization has stated that the policies implemented by the Chinese government against the Uyghur ethnic minority within its borders amount to genocide.

On the 9th (local time), according to the British BBC and others, the Uyghur Tribunal, a UK-based private research group composed of legal professionals and scholars, announced that it reached this conclusion after a year-long independent investigation.

Sir Geoffrey Nice, the chair of the organization, confirmed in the announcement of the investigation results that hundreds of thousands, possibly over one million Uyghurs, are detained in mass detention facilities in Xinjiang, China.

The organization heard testimonies from more than 70 individuals, including victims and experts, during two hearings held in London in June and September.

They stated, "Such state repression cannot exist without the approval of the highest leadership," and identified Chinese President Xi Jinping and other senior officials as the "main responsible parties for what has happened in Xinjiang."

The organization particularly confirmed that there is no doubt the Chinese government has committed crimes against humanity against the Uyghurs, citing testimonies of rape, torture, forced abortions, uterine removals, and family separations as examples.

The group also revealed that it had previously attempted to contact the Chinese government and offered to participate in the investigation process. As an unofficial body, the organization cannot impose sanctions or punishments on the Chinese government based on its conclusions but aims to urge international action.

The announcement of this investigation result came just one day after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan bill banning imports of goods produced in the Xinjiang region.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly, 428 to 1, to pass the "Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act," a bill aimed at countering China's human rights abuses, the day before.

Previously, the parliaments of the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, and Lithuania passed resolutions defining China's repression of the Uyghurs as genocide.

The Chinese government denies all related allegations. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the BBC regarding this report that "(the claim that genocide is occurring in Xinjiang) is merely a political tool used by some anti-China forces to deceive and mislead the public."

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