China has rejected a United Nations statement alleging that forced labour practices involving Uyghurs, Tibetans and other minority groups in the Xinjiang region may amount to “enslavement,” calling the claims “completely fabricated” and politically motivated.
UN Experts Cite “Persistent Pattern” of Forced Labour
UN human rights experts said in a statement on Thursday that there was “a persistent pattern” of forced labour affecting Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Tibetans in Xinjiang and other Chinese provinces. They said the alleged practices were linked to government-run poverty alleviation and vocational training programmes that coerced members of ethnic minorities into taking jobs both within Xinjiang and elsewhere in China.
“In many cases, the coercive elements are so severe that they may amount to forcible transfer and/or enslavement as a crime against humanity,” the experts said. They urged Beijing to end the programmes and to grant international observers full access to affected regions.
The experts’ findings follow years of scrutiny by rights organisations and Western governments over China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang, where reports of mass detention, forced assimilation, and surveillance have drawn widespread condemnation.
Beijing Calls Allegations “Groundless”
Responding to the statement, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the allegations as “completely fabricated” and “groundless.” Speaking at a press briefing on Friday, Guo said the experts’ remarks distorted facts and ignored China’s achievements in human rights protection.
“The Chinese government has always been committed to promoting and protecting human rights,” Guo said. He called on the UN experts to “perform their duties impartially and objectively and not become tools and accomplices of anti-China forces.”
Beijing maintains that its policies in Xinjiang are aimed at eradicating poverty, combating extremism and promoting stability. It denies all allegations of abuses, saying that training and employment programmes in the region are voluntary.
Continued International Scrutiny
Human rights organisations and several Western governments, including the United States, Canada and members of the European Union, have repeatedly accused China of widespread abuses in Xinjiang. The U.S. government has characterised China’s actions as genocide, while Beijing has rejected the claim as politically motivated interference.
Observers say the latest UN statement adds to growing international pressure on China to allow independent investigations into conditions in Xinjiang and Tibet. However, Beijing has so far resisted such calls, maintaining that foreign criticism of its domestic policies undermines national sovereignty and stability.
with inputs from Reuters
