A Human Rights group has demanded the resignation of the United Nations High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet stating that she insulted the Uyghur victims of genocide and failed her duty as High Commissioner.
A pro-Uyghur rights, non-profit organisation, Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) termed the UN chief’s prison visit in China a shame and said that Bachelet provided zero transparency about her trip.
“Bachelet neglects the duties of her office, her mandate to the world to stand up for human rights, and the UN’s founding principles,” CFU said in a statement.
Executive Director of CFU, Rushan Abbas said that the Human rights groups had hopes in Bachelet knowing that she was a political prisoner, tortured and tormented for her beliefs. But her statement at her press conference on her China trip has insulted the Uyghur victims of genocide.
“We thought she would be fair. She would not betray her conscience and she would defend the weak and oppressed. But what she did goes far beyond her inactivity and her silence for the last forty-some months since she was appointed as the Human Rights High Commissioner.”
“She made herself complicit with the Uyghur genocide and my people’s blood will be on her hands. Her statement is an insult to the millions of innocent victims of this genocide and spits in the face of the 2,884 Uyghur women, men, and children shown in photos. Bachelet legitimized and whitewashed the genocide and crimes against humanity by the Chinese communist regime. Bachelet had a choice to do her job with integrity. She chose not to. She must resign now,” she added.
CFU said that it urges all individuals, organizations and governments around the world who care about human rights to demand and ensure the removal of her position adding that Bachelet must step down from her post if she has any humanity left inside.
“Bachelet legitimized and whitewashed the genocide and crimes against humanity by the Chinese communist regime. Bachelet had a choice to do her job with integrity. She chose not to. She must resign now.”
“Racism is deplorable in all forms but when she does not call out genocide- and even serves as an apologist for it- how sincere is her concern for racism?” it added.
The Human Right group said that the UN chief’s visit shows that she is unable to see China objectively. “China now has a stamp of approval from the UN. The High Commissioner should never have agreed to this visit without securing full access to the region.”
This came against the backdrop of widespread criticism of UN Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet’s six-day China visit, which concluded on Saturday, that it was “not an investigation” instead she spoke with “candour” in her meetings with the Chinese officials.
In view of this, several Activists advocating the protection of rights of the Uyghur community held a demonstration in front of Washington’s Capitol Hill on Sunday (local time) and urged the UN to act on the ‘Uyghur Genocide’ being carried out by China.
Human rights campaigners have been accusing the ruling Communist Party of China of committing widespread abuses in Xinjiang in the name of security, steps which include confining people to internment camps, forcibly separating families, and carrying out forced sterilization.
The protestors also demanded that the Chinese Communist Party release the families of Uyghur camp survivors from the ‘internment camps’.
The UN rights chief admitted the only prison she visited in the Xinjiang province was not one in which Uyghurs convicted of political crimes are held.
“It is scandalous that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights went to China and East Turkistan without being able to even condemn the government for committing genocide. She has failed her mandate. The Uyghur community deserves accountability more than ever,” said Dolkun Isa, president of the Uyghur Congress. The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has expressed its serious disappointment to the outcomes of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet’s visit to China, including a trip to Xinjiang.
As they feared, human rights groups say this visit has turned out to be a “propaganda opportunity” for China to whitewash its crimes against humanity and genocide against the Uyghur people.