But Beijing’s power has silenced many of those who one might expect to criticise itWhat does it take to make people speak out? Last week, 22 states – including Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Australia and Japan – signed a letter to UN human rights officials condemning China’s treatment of Uighur and other minorities there. The endorsement of North Korea, Syria, Myanmar and Saudi Arabia on human rights speaks for itself. Though the US has at times spoken forcefully about Xinjiang, its erratic interest in China’s human rights records is cynically and shamefully tied to other political ends. Without sustained pressure, the grotesque human rights abuses seen in Xinjiang will not just continue but intensify.

Source: The Guardian July 17, 2019 17:25 UTC