New US Report Accuses China Of Genocide - Again

"); jQuery("#212 h3").html("

Related News Programmes

"); });

2021-07-13 HKT 09:53

Share this story

facebook

  • China denies allegations of repression of Uyghur Muslims and says mass "vocational education and training" is needed to counter terrorism and alleviate poverty. File photo: AP

    China denies allegations of repression of Uyghur Muslims and says mass "vocational education and training" is needed to counter terrorism and alleviate poverty. File photo: AP

The Biden administration on Monday renewed genocide allegations against China for repression of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in its northwest Xinjiang region.

China denies the allegations, and says mass "vocational education and training" is necessary in far-western Xinjiang to counter terrorism and alleviate poverty.

The US government also warned Eritrea, Ethiopia, Myanmar and South Sudan of possible further sanctions for ethnic cleansing in conflicts they are involved in.

The administration sent the messages in the release of the State Department’s annual report to Congress on genocide and atrocities prevention, which calls for the federal government to outline steps it is taking to prevent and halt such actions abroad.

“This administration will defend and protect human rights around the world, and recognizes the prevention of atrocities is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility," it said.

The report said the US continues to believe that China’s actions against the Uyghurs constitutes a “genocide.” That finding was first announced by former President Donald Trump’s administration, as was a determination that Myanmar was engaged in “ethnic cleansing” against Rohyinga Muslims in its northern Rakhine state.

The report noted that Secretary of State Antony Blinken has several times reaffirmed the previous administration's claim that “the People’s Republic of China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.”

Those crimes include imprisonment, torture, enforced sterilization, and persecution, the report said. It added that President Joe Biden's administration has followed through and expanded on Trump-era sanctions for the alleged atrocities.

The report said Myanmar, also known as Burma, remains at particular risk for genocide. It said the US would continue to coordinate with allies and partners to press the military government there to halt all repression, including crackdowns on dissent that followed a coup in February, as well as the violence against the Rohingya.

The report also took Eritrea and Ethiopia to task for ethnic cleansing in their crackdown on dissent in Ethiopia’s western Tigray region. Blinken in March told Congress that the actions there amounted to “ethnic cleansing.” The administration has since demanded a full withdrawal of Eritrean forces from Tigray and has imposed travel bans on certain officials.

Elsewhere in Africa, the report cited deteriorating conditions in South Sudan, where it said the government “has perpetrated extrajudicial killings including ethnic-based killings of civilians, widespread sexual violence, and use of food as a weapon of war.”

“Those responsible for human rights violations in South Sudan must be held to account,” it said.

The report said the Biden administration would continue to support efforts to bring Islamic State militants to justice for atrocities committed against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. It also reiterated the US commitment to holding Syrian President Bashar Assad and his government to account for abuses. (AP)

RECENT NEWS

Tycoon Sits China's University Exams For 27th Time

Among the millions of fresh-faced high schoolers sitting the nation's dreaded "gaokao" college entrance exam on Wednesda... Read more

China's First Home-grown Large Cruise Liner Undocks

The first large cruise liner developed by China completed its undocking in Shanghai on Tuesday, marking its complete tra... Read more

Chinese, US Diplomats Hold 'frank' Talks In Beijing

Meetings between senior mainland and US officials in China this week struck an upbeat chord, with both sides agreeing to... Read more

China's Cruise Industry Set To Make Waves Again

China's cruise industry, suspended for more than three years due to the pandemic, is expected to resume operations in th... Read more

Toll From Deadly Landslide Rises To 19

All 19 people caught in a landslide in Sichuan province on Sunday have been confirmed dead, state media reported, announ... Read more

'Nato-like Alliance Disastrous For Asia-Pacific'

Defence Minister Li Shangfu on Sunday told the Shangri-La Dialogue security summit in Singapore that any moves to establ... Read more