The European Union members state has imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials. The action has been taken over Beijing's crackdown on a weeker minority Muslims.

European Union sanctions on Chinese officials

The United States on Friday condemned China's abuse of ethnic and religious minorities, including what it called "crimes against humanity and genocide" in Xinjiang against Muslim Uighurs and severe restrictions in Tibet.

"We condemn China's abuse of members of ethnic and religious minority groups including crimes against humanity and genocide in Xinjiang and severe restrictions in Tibet," Mark Cassayre, US&nbsp;charge d'affaires, told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Alaska next week, is due to raise the treatment of Uighurs, US&nbsp;officials have said.

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China rejects US&nbsp;charges that it has committed genocide against Uighur and other Muslims in the remote western region, where activists say more than 1 million are held in internment camps.

Chen Xu, China's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, did not refer directly to Xinjiang in a speech saying that his country opposed politicisation of human rights issues.

Cuba, speaking on behalf of 64 countries including China, said Xinjiang is "an inseparable part of China" and urged states to "stop interfering in China’s internal affairs by manipulating Xinjiang-related issues, (and) refrain from making unfounded allegations against China out of political motivations".

Britain's ambassador, Julian Braithwaite, told the forum: "We remain deeply concerned by the extensive and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang, including credible reports of forced labour and forced birth control."

China says the complexes it set up in Xinjiang provide vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism. Allegations of forced labour and human rights violations are “groundless rumour and slander”, the Chinese foreign ministry says.

Cassayre and Braithwaite raised concerns about Hong Kong, where 21 activists are to remain in custody after a court on Friday rejected requests by some for bail.

The charges against a total of 47 opposition figures represent the most sweeping use yet of Hong Kong's new security law, which punishes what it broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison.

"We condemn Hong Kong authorities' detention of democratic activists for exercising their rights and freedoms and call for their immediate release," Cassayre said.

The United States on Friday condemned China's abuse of ethnic and religious minorities, including what it called "crimes against humanity and genocide" in Xinjiang against Muslim Uighurs and severe restrictions in Tibet.

The United States on Friday condemned China's abuse of ethnic and religious minorities, including what it called "crimes against humanity and genocide" in Xinjiang against Muslim Uighurs and severe restrictions in Tibet. "We condemn China's abuse of members of ethnic and religious minority groups including crimes against humanity and genocide in Xinjiang and severe restrictions in Tibet," Mark Cassayre, US charge d'affaires, told the U.N. Human Rights Council. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Alaska next week, is due to raise the treatment of Uighurs, US officials have said. China rejects US charges that it has committed genocide against Uighur and other Muslims in the remote western region, where activists say more than 1 million are held in internment camps. Chen Xu, China's ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, did not refer directly to Xinjiang in a speech saying that his country opposed politicisation of human rights issues. Cuba, speaking on behalf of 64 countries including China, said Xinjiang is "an inseparable part of China" and urged states to "stop interfering in China’s internal affairs by manipulating Xinjiang-related issues, (and) refrain from making unfounded allegations against China out of political motivations". Britain's ambassador, Julian Braithwaite, told the forum: "We remain deeply concerned by the extensive and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang, including credible reports of forced labour and forced birth control." China says the complexes it set up in Xinjiang provide vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism. Allegations of forced labour and human rights violations are “groundless rumour and slander”, the Chinese foreign ministry says. Cassayre and Braithwaite raised concerns about Hong Kong, where 21 activists are to remain in custody after a court on Friday rejected requests by some for bail. The charges against a total of 47 opposition figures represent the most sweeping use yet of Hong Kong's new security law, which punishes what it broadly defines as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces with up to life in prison. "We condemn Hong Kong authorities' detention of democratic activists for exercising their rights and freedoms and call for their immediate release," Cassayre said.

'Crime against humanity and genocide': US condemns China for abuse of Uighurs, Tibetans

Beijing's persecution of Uighurs is not new, it has been termed as genocide and a violation of Human Rights by major world powers. The Uighurs continue to be subjected to intimidation and threats. WION tells you more.

High level Chinese study exposes Uighur's persecution

Chinese labour programmes in Xinjiang are mostly designed to reduce the population density of the Uighur ethnic minority group, a study has said.

The Chinese report, accidentally published online by academics of Nankai University, was taken down in mid-2020, but a copy was archived by the academic Dr Adrian Zenz.&nbsp;

Experts say this latest report adds to the growing body of evidence of Beijing’s concerted efforts to persecute Uighurs, labelled cultural genocide by a few rights activists.

The Chinese government denies accusations of forced labour and labour transfers in Xinjiang, saying work programmes are a voluntary element of its poverty alleviation goals.

The report recommended the government expand the programmes to eastern and central regions of China to meet labour demands. It also emphasised that programmes were “voluntary” but also provided contradictory details, such as worker export targets and the need for security guards in the labour sourcing teams.

It also appeared to suggest the authorities have gone too far in their crackdown, and that the demonisation of Uighurs had resulted in some local and provincial authorities refusing to accept workers from Xinjiang on “security grounds”. This situation was a “serious obstacle” to the country’s goals, it said.

Traditionally, Uighurs who had “participated in riots” were a minority, and all were admitted to education and training centres.

These centres are somewhat termed as 'detention camps' by Chinese authorities.

A review of the Nankai report and other supporting materials by Zenz included legal analysis by the former senior advisor to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Erin Farrell Rosenberg. He had found “credible grounds to conclude” that Xinjiang’s labour transfer programme met the criteria of two crimes against humanity.

In a statement to the BBC, the Chinese government, on its part, said the report “reflects only the author’s personal view and much of its contents are not in line with the facts”.

China said on Tuesday it was discussing a visit to its Xinjiang region by the United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, but that she should not set out with the aim of condemning its policies.

(with inputs)

Chinese labour programmes in Xinjiang are mostly designed to reduce the population density of the Uighur ethnic minority group, a study has said. The Chinese report, accidentally published online by academics of Nankai University, was taken down in mid-2020, but a copy was archived by the academic Dr Adrian Zenz.

Chinese labour programmes in Xinjiang are mostly designed to reduce the population density of the Uighur ethnic minority group, a study has said. The Chinese report, accidentally published online by academics of Nankai University, was taken down in mid-2020, but a copy was archived by the academic Dr Adrian Zenz. Experts say this latest report adds to the growing body of evidence of Beijing’s concerted efforts to persecute Uighurs, labelled cultural genocide by a few rights activists. The Chinese government denies accusations of forced labour and labour transfers in Xinjiang, saying work programmes are a voluntary element of its poverty alleviation goals. The report recommended the government expand the programmes to eastern and central regions of China to meet labour demands. It also emphasised that programmes were “voluntary” but also provided contradictory details, such as worker export targets and the need for security guards in the labour sourcing teams. It also appeared to suggest the authorities have gone too far in their crackdown, and that the demonisation of Uighurs had resulted in some local and provincial authorities refusing to accept workers from Xinjiang on “security grounds”. This situation was a “serious obstacle” to the country’s goals, it said. Traditionally, Uighurs who had “participated in riots” were a minority, and all were admitted to education and training centres. These centres are somewhat termed as 'detention camps' by Chinese authorities. A review of the Nankai report and other supporting materials by Zenz included legal analysis by the former senior advisor to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, Erin Farrell Rosenberg. He had found “credible grounds to conclude” that Xinjiang’s labour transfer programme met the criteria of two crimes against humanity. In a statement to the BBC, the Chinese government, on its part, said the report “reflects only the author’s personal view and much of its contents are not in line with the facts”. China said on Tuesday it was discussing a visit to its Xinjiang region by the United Nations human rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, but that she should not set out with the aim of condemning its policies. (with inputs)

Chinese labour schemes are aimed at cutting Uighur population density, report says

China has said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) govt welcomes the UN high commissioner (for human rights Michelle Bachelet) to visit Xinjiang but she should not use this opportunity to engage in political operations to pressure the country.

Earlier, United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet had said that China is restricting the basic civil and political freedoms – including in Hong Kong – in the name of national security.

Activists and UN rights experts say at least one million Muslims are being detained in camps in the remote western region of Xinjiang. The activists and some Western politicians accuse China of using torture, forced labour and sterilisations.

China denies any human rights abuses in Xinjiang and says its camps provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism.

“We also find it regrettable the High Commissioner made unsubstantiated accusations against China based on misinformation and political pressure,” China’s delegate Jiang Duan told the U.N. Human Rights Council.

"Issues of Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong are not in essence the so-called issues of human rights. Currently, people in Xinjiang and Tibet enjoy social stability, economic growth, national unity, religious cultural harmony, and cultural development and improvement in life. All ethnic groups enjoy wide-ranging freedoms. The door to Xinjiang is always open, and we welcome the high commissioner (for human rights Michelle Bachelet) to visit Xinjiang. Communication is kept up between the two sides, but the aim of the visit is to provide exchanges and cooperation rather than the so-called investigation based on 'guilty before proven.' We are firmly opposed to anyone using this to engage in political operations to pressure China'," China's delegation said.

(With inputs from agencies)

China has said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) govt welcomes the UN high commissioner (for human rights Michelle Bachelet) to visit Xinjiang but she should not use this opportunity to engage in political operations to pressure the country.

China has said that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) govt welcomes the UN high commissioner (for human rights Michelle Bachelet) to visit Xinjiang but she should not use this opportunity to engage in political operations to pressure the country. Earlier, United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet had said that China is restricting the basic civil and political freedoms – including in Hong Kong – in the name of national security. Activists and UN rights experts say at least one million Muslims are being detained in camps in the remote western region of Xinjiang. The activists and some Western politicians accuse China of using torture, forced labour and sterilisations. China denies any human rights abuses in Xinjiang and says its camps provide vocational training and are needed to fight extremism. “We also find it regrettable the High Commissioner made unsubstantiated accusations against China based on misinformation and political pressure,” China’s delegate Jiang Duan told the U.N. Human Rights Council. "Issues of Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong are not in essence the so-called issues of human rights. Currently, people in Xinjiang and Tibet enjoy social stability, economic growth, national unity, religious cultural harmony, and cultural development and improvement in life. All ethnic groups enjoy wide-ranging freedoms. The door to Xinjiang is always open, and we welcome the high commissioner (for human rights Michelle Bachelet) to visit Xinjiang. Communication is kept up between the two sides, but the aim of the visit is to provide exchanges and cooperation rather than the so-called investigation based on 'guilty before proven.' We are firmly opposed to anyone using this to engage in political operations to pressure China'," China's delegation said. (With inputs from agencies)

Uighurs, Tibet and Hong Kong issues not in the essence of human rights: China

A global campaign to call out China's genocide is underway. After Canada, the Dutch parliament has passed a resolution - labelling China's treatment of the Uighurs as genocide. What do these indictments mean for China? WION's Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Now, A European Nation is blaming China for genocide

The Dutch parliament passed a non-binding motion saying the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in China amounts to genocide, the first such move by a European country.

Motion: China's Uighurs facing genocide

Beijing has harshly reacted against the Human Rights Watch (HRW) that slammed China for the inhuman treatment it metes out to the Uighur Muslims.

The rights group on Wednesday highlighted how China has dramatically increased the systemic prosecution of Muslim minorities through formal courts systems on dubious charges such as "picking quarrels".

"Despite the veneer of legality, many of those in Xinjiang's prisons are ordinary people who were convicted for going about their lives and practising their religion," HRW researcher Maya Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

The organisation also said that over 250,000 people in Xinjiang have been sentenced and imprisoned since 2016.&nbsp;

To this end, the Chinese foreign ministry was quick to label the report as prejudiced.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry, said, "The organisation you mentioned has always been full of prejudice on issues related to China, often spreading false statements to smear China, and their allegations should not be trusted."

Earlier on Monday, China lambasted the non-binding motion passed by the Canadian parliament that labelled PRC’s treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority as ‘genocide’.&nbsp;

This came after Donald Trump's outgoing administration last month said Beijing's incarceration of mostly Muslim minorities in its far western Xinjiang region amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity.

"It's a word that is extremely loaded and is certainly something that we should be looking at in the case of the Uighurs," Trudeau told a news conference.&nbsp;

Also, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Wednesday denounced what he called the "institutionalised repression" of China's Uighur minority.

Speaking by video link at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Le Drian said that witness accounts and documents from the Chinese region of Xinjiang pointed to "unjustifiable practises towards Uighurs, and a system of large-scale surveillance and institutionalised repression."

Rights groups believe that at least one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslim minorities are incarcerated in camps in the western region of Xinjiang.

Le Drian cited Xinjiang among several examples of "considerable regressions for human rights" in 2020.

Joseph Borrel, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, has called on China to allow meaningful access to Xinjiang.

He said, “Once again, we urge China to allow meaningful access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including high commissioner Bachelet. This is key to enable an independent, impartial and transparent assessment of the grave concerns that the international community has.”

"The EU calls on china to comply with its obligation under national and international law, to respect and to protect human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities in Xinjiang, in Tibet and in Inner Mongolia.”

In a nutshell, China may be trying to push back, but its crimes are too obvious to whitewash.

The implications could be severe.

Last we checked, calls to move the 2022 Winter Olympics away from China were growing exponentially.

Beijing cannot afford to let go of the games -- it has a whopping 3.9 billion dollar budget set for the Olympics.

But as China's global reputation is abysmally low, and as the world looks for ways to punish China, the cancellation of the Winter Olympic games could be a good start.

Beijing has harshly reacted against the Human Rights Watch (HRW) that slammed China for the inhuman treatment it metes out to the Uighur Muslims. The rights group on Wednesday highlighted how China has dramatically increased the systemic prosecution of Muslim minorities through formal courts systems on dubious charges such as "picking quarrels".

Beijing has harshly reacted against the Human Rights Watch (HRW) that slammed China for the inhuman treatment it metes out to the Uighur Muslims. The rights group on Wednesday highlighted how China has dramatically increased the systemic prosecution of Muslim minorities through formal courts systems on dubious charges such as "picking quarrels". "Despite the veneer of legality, many of those in Xinjiang's prisons are ordinary people who were convicted for going about their lives and practising their religion," HRW researcher Maya Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. The organisation also said that over 250,000 people in Xinjiang have been sentenced and imprisoned since 2016. To this end, the Chinese foreign ministry was quick to label the report as prejudiced. Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the ministry, said, "The organisation you mentioned has always been full of prejudice on issues related to China, often spreading false statements to smear China, and their allegations should not be trusted." Earlier on Monday, China lambasted the non-binding motion passed by the Canadian parliament that labelled PRC’s treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority as ‘genocide’. This came after Donald Trump's outgoing administration last month said Beijing's incarceration of mostly Muslim minorities in its far western Xinjiang region amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity. "It's a word that is extremely loaded and is certainly something that we should be looking at in the case of the Uighurs," Trudeau told a news conference. Also, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Wednesday denounced what he called the "institutionalised repression" of China's Uighur minority. Speaking by video link at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Le Drian said that witness accounts and documents from the Chinese region of Xinjiang pointed to "unjustifiable practises towards Uighurs, and a system of large-scale surveillance and institutionalised repression." Rights groups believe that at least one million Uighurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslim minorities are incarcerated in camps in the western region of Xinjiang. Le Drian cited Xinjiang among several examples of "considerable regressions for human rights" in 2020. Joseph Borrel, the foreign policy chief of the European Union, has called on China to allow meaningful access to Xinjiang. He said, “Once again, we urge China to allow meaningful access to Xinjiang for independent observers, including high commissioner Bachelet. This is key to enable an independent, impartial and transparent assessment of the grave concerns that the international community has.” "The EU calls on china to comply with its obligation under national and international law, to respect and to protect human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities in Xinjiang, in Tibet and in Inner Mongolia.” In a nutshell, China may be trying to push back, but its crimes are too obvious to whitewash. The implications could be severe. Last we checked, calls to move the 2022 Winter Olympics away from China were growing exponentially. Beijing cannot afford to let go of the games -- it has a whopping 3.9 billion dollar budget set for the Olympics. But as China's global reputation is abysmally low, and as the world looks for ways to punish China, the cancellation of the Winter Olympic games could be a good start.

China condemns rights group's report on Xinjiang and Uighur Muslims

China is carrying out the largest genocide since the Holocaust. The world is joining hands to punish China. Will India join in too? WION's Palki Sharma tells you all you need to know about the Uighur genocide in less than 7 mins.

Gravitas: China called out on Uighur genocide

After the United Kingdom, the European Union has now demanded access to the Xinjian region for human rights observers. EU has urged China to allow an investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Uighur minorities.

WION Fineprint: EU demands China allow 'meaningful access' to Xinjiang region

WION Dispatch: EU demands China allow 'meaningful access' to Xinjiang region

After the UK, Canda has now stepped up efforts to call out China over its treatment of Uighur Muslims living in the Xinjiang region. Canada's parliament has passed a non-binding motion on Monday to declare China's treatment of its Uighur minority population as a genocide.

WION Fineprint: Canada votes to recognize China's treatment of Uighur Muslims

China on Monday rejected 'slanderous attacks' about conditions for Muslim Uighurs and other minorities living in its Xinjiang region, insisting that they enjoyed the freedom of religion and labour rights just like other citizens in the country.

China rejects genocide charges in Xinjiang region

Britain on Monday will call on United Nations to be granted access to the Xinjiang region of China, where excesses against Uighur Muslims have&nbsp;been reported. 
 
As part of this, the UK will urge UN to have "urgent and unfettered" access to the region to investigate instances of abuses. 
 
Britain is also set to return to the UN Human Rights Council as a voting member. As it begins its journey, Britain is expected to condemn human rights record of fellow members like China and Russia. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's office said that the country is also expected to raise concerns about Myanmar and Belarus.

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Raab is expected to speak about abuses in Xinjiang. Reports indicate that torture, forced labour, and forced sterilisation of women is undertaken in the area. His office said that he is expected to take up the cause, while alleging that the abuses are taking place "on an industrial scale".

China has faced global backlash for its mistreatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang. Many complexes have been set up in the region, which China claims are "vocational traíning centres" to weed out extremism and to equip the people of Xinjiang with new skills.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/chinas-oppression-of-muslims-in-xinjiang-explained-358392" hreflang="en">China's oppression of Muslims in Xinjiang, explained</a>

Many have referred to these buildings as "concentration camps". Raab will take up the issue, and as reported by CNN, will urge UN High Commissioner for Human Rights or another independent body to be given access to these camps.

According to the United Nations, at least 1 million Uighurs, along with other Muslims remain detained in Xinjiang.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-carrying-out-genocide-against-uighurs-in-xinjiang-us-secretary-of-state-pompeo-357819" hreflang="en">China carrying out 'genocide' against Uighurs in Xinjiang: US Secretary of State Pompeo</a>

On January 19, 2021, the United States government said that China was committing genocide in Xinjiang, which former Secretary of State Pompeo described as "the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese-party state".

China, on the other hand, claims that Muslim minorities in the region enjoy a high quality of life.

Britain on Monday will call on United Nations to be granted access to the Xinjiang region of China, where excesses against Uighur Muslims have been reported. As part of this, the UK will urge UN to have "urgent and unfettered" access to the region to investigate instances of abuses.

Britain on Monday will call on United Nations to be granted access to the Xinjiang region of China, where excesses against Uighur Muslims have been reported. As part of this, the UK will urge UN to have "urgent and unfettered" access to the region to investigate instances of abuses. Britain is also set to return to the UN Human Rights Council as a voting member. As it begins its journey, Britain is expected to condemn human rights record of fellow members like China and Russia. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab's office said that the country is also expected to raise concerns about Myanmar and Belarus. Raab is expected to speak about abuses in Xinjiang. Reports indicate that torture, forced labour, and forced sterilisation of women is undertaken in the area. His office said that he is expected to take up the cause, while alleging that the abuses are taking place "on an industrial scale". China has faced global backlash for its mistreatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang. Many complexes have been set up in the region, which China claims are "vocational traíning centres" to weed out extremism and to equip the people of Xinjiang with new skills. Also read: China's oppression of Muslims in Xinjiang, explained Many have referred to these buildings as "concentration camps". Raab will take up the issue, and as reported by CNN, will urge UN High Commissioner for Human Rights or another independent body to be given access to these camps. According to the United Nations, at least 1 million Uighurs, along with other Muslims remain detained in Xinjiang. Also read: China carrying out 'genocide' against Uighurs in Xinjiang: US Secretary of State Pompeo On January 19, 2021, the United States government said that China was committing genocide in Xinjiang, which former Secretary of State Pompeo described as "the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese-party state". China, on the other hand, claims that Muslim minorities in the region enjoy a high quality of life.

Britain wants UN to have 'urgent' access to Uighur camps in China's Xinjiang

Police kept the protesters some 300 meters away from the embassy and also tried to prevent journalists from covering the protest

Uighurs stage protest outside Chinese Embassy in Turkey

In the first conversation between top officials of the US and China since President Joe Biden took office, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Beijing on its treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers.&nbsp;

About his call with senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi, Blinken said on Twitter, "I made clear the US will defend our national interests, stand up for our democratic values, and hold Beijing accountable for its abuses of the international system." &nbsp;

Blinken told Yang, the United States "will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.”&nbsp;

Blinken also "pressed China to join the international community in condemning the military coup in Burma," it said, using the former name of Myanmar.&nbsp;

The top US diplomat said the United States would hold Beijing "accountable for its efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait, and its undermining of the rules-based international system."&nbsp;

The tough tone comes after Blinken in his confirmation hearing said he would continue former president Donald Trump's approach to China in a rare point of agreement between the two administrations.&nbsp;

Blinken has said he agrees with a determination by the State Department under Trump that Beijing is carrying out genocide in the western region of Xinjiang, where rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people have been rounded up in camps.&nbsp;

Beijing has also ramped up a crackdown in Hong Kong, arresting leading activists, after imposing a new law against subversion following major protests in the financial hub to which it had guaranteed a separate system.&nbsp;

Biden nonetheless offered a small olive branch during a speech on foreign policy on Thursday, saying that while the United states will ‘confront' China, "We are ready to work with Beijing when it's in America's interest to do so."&nbsp;

Blinken has previously spoken of climate change as an area of cooperation as China and the United State are the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases.&nbsp;

Beijing has long enjoyed a privileged relationship with Myanmar, supporting the junta that gave way to democracy a decade ago with US support.&nbsp;

The military in the Southeast Asian nation this week carried out a coup, arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in what Chinese state media described as 'a major cabinet reshuffle’.&nbsp;

Biden, who has vowed to promote democracy worldwide after Trump's flirtations with autocratic leaders, strongly condemned the coup and threatened sanctions if the military did not relinquish power.&nbsp;

In the first conversation between top officials of the US and China since President Joe Biden took office, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Beijing on its treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers.

In the first conversation between top officials of the US and China since President Joe Biden took office, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed Beijing on its treatment of Uighurs, Tibetans and Hong Kongers. About his call with senior Chinese official Yang Jiechi, Blinken said on Twitter, "I made clear the US will defend our national interests, stand up for our democratic values, and hold Beijing accountable for its abuses of the international system." Blinken told Yang, the United States "will continue to stand up for human rights and democratic values, including in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong.” Blinken also "pressed China to join the international community in condemning the military coup in Burma," it said, using the former name of Myanmar. The top US diplomat said the United States would hold Beijing "accountable for its efforts to threaten stability in the Indo-Pacific, including across the Taiwan Strait, and its undermining of the rules-based international system." The tough tone comes after Blinken in his confirmation hearing said he would continue former president Donald Trump's approach to China in a rare point of agreement between the two administrations. Blinken has said he agrees with a determination by the State Department under Trump that Beijing is carrying out genocide in the western region of Xinjiang, where rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking people have been rounded up in camps. Beijing has also ramped up a crackdown in Hong Kong, arresting leading activists, after imposing a new law against subversion following major protests in the financial hub to which it had guaranteed a separate system. Biden nonetheless offered a small olive branch during a speech on foreign policy on Thursday, saying that while the United states will ‘confront' China, "We are ready to work with Beijing when it's in America's interest to do so." Blinken has previously spoken of climate change as an area of cooperation as China and the United State are the two largest emitters of greenhouse gases. Beijing has long enjoyed a privileged relationship with Myanmar, supporting the junta that gave way to democracy a decade ago with US support. The military in the Southeast Asian nation this week carried out a coup, arresting civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in what Chinese state media described as 'a major cabinet reshuffle’. Biden, who has vowed to promote democracy worldwide after Trump's flirtations with autocratic leaders, strongly condemned the coup and threatened sanctions if the military did not relinquish power.

Blinken warns China on Uighurs, Hong Kongers

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has officially declared China’s treatment of Muslim Uighurs in Xinjiang a “genocide” constituting crimes against humanity.

'China committed genocide against Uighur muslims', says former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

On the final full day of the Trump presidency, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that China was carrying out a genocide against Uighurs and other Muslim people, the toughest condemnation yet of Beijing’s crackdown in its far western region of Xinjiang.

The announcement was welcomed by exiled Uighurs as a long-desired recognition of the extent of oppression in Xinjiang. It was also criticized as a move that was delayed for too long and tainted by the Trump administration’s loss of credibility and efforts to overturn the presidential election results.\

Watch |&nbsp;

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The incoming Biden administration has indicated its general agreement with the designation. A spokesperson for Joe Biden said during the presidential campaign last year that Beijing’s policies in the region amounted to genocide.

Here’s a look at the Xinjiang region, China’s crackdown there and what the genocide declaration could mean for the global response.

<h2>Where is Xinjiang and why does it matter to China?</h2>

Xinjiang, in the far northwestern region of China, has large numbers of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other mostly Muslim groups. It is culturally, linguistically and religiously more similar to Central Asia than the Chinese interior.

The geography is dominated by the vast Taklamakan Desert in the center of the region, multiple mountain ranges and traditional oasis cities in the south. The area is rich in natural resources and has some of China’s largest oil deposits.

The Communist Party has ruled the region with a heavy hand since it took over control in 1949. To many Uighurs, Xinjiang is known as East Turkestan, a name shared by two short-lived independent republics that existed before the Communist takeover.

<h2>What is happening there?</h2>

Uighurs have long bridled at Chinese control of the region, which has seen an influx of ethnic Chinese migrants and an increase in restrictions on local language, culture and religion. Minority groups in Xinjiang say they are not given jobs or contracts because of widespread racial discrimination.

The resentment has sometimes boiled over into violence, including attacks on police officers and civilians. In 2009, nearly 200 people, mostly Han Chinese, were killed in riots in Urumqi, the regional capital.

In 2016, a new Communist Party boss, Chen Quanguo, transferred to Xinjiang from Tibet. He began carrying out an intensified campaign of repression, putting large numbers of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other minority groups in re-education camps.

Under Chen, the use of surveillance, in the form of both high-tech facial recognition monitoring and traditional measures like police checkpoints, surged in the region. China has also attempted to control the growth of the Uighur population, and researchers say it has used repressive methods such as forced sterilizations.

Large numbers of children in Xinjiang have been placed in boarding schools designed to assimilate and indoctrinate them, according to the government’s published plans. And authorities have carried out the widespread destruction of mosques and shrines while turning others into tourist sites.

<h2>What are the camps?</h2>

Officials have held 1 million or more people in internment camps in Xinjiang, the country’s most sweeping mass detention program since the Mao era. A wide range of behavior can lead to detention, including acts of religious devotion, travel to certain countries, violations of birth restrictions or installing cellphone apps that allow encrypted messaging.

Authorities at first denied the mass detentions. Then they acknowledged what they called a vocational training program meant to curb terrorism, separatism and religious extremism by giving people job skills and Chinese language training. Those who have been held in camps describe a rigorous prison environment filled with monotonous political indoctrination and, for many, terrorizing bouts of violence and physical abuse by guards.

In 2019, Chinese authorities said they had wound down the program and released most of those who were held, an assertion that was met with wide skepticism by researchers and activist groups. While there were signs that some camps had been closed and some of those held released, China has also continued to expand detention facilities in the region, particularly high-security prisons.

The region also experienced a record surge in arrests, trials and prison sentences, according to official data released in 2019. In addition, the authorities have pushed work programs in Xinjiang, including the transfer of workers within the region and to other parts of China, that critics say most likely involve coercion and forced labor.

<h2>Why, in the U.S. view at least, do China’s actions in Xinjiang amount to genocide?</h2>

In his statement, Pompeo said Chinese authorities in Xinjiang had committed crimes against humanity that include arbitrary imprisonment, forced sterilization, torture, forced labor and “draconian restrictions” on freedom of religion, expression and movement.

He added that the United States believes that Chinese authorities have committed genocide because they had “engaged in the forced assimilation and eventual erasure of a vulnerable ethnic and religious minority group.”

The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which has been ratified by at least 149 countries including China, defines genocide as any of these acts committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group: Killing its members; causing them serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to cause the group’s physical destruction; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

<h2>How has the world responded?</h2>

The global response to the repression in Xinjiang has been relatively muted, an indication of China’s global clout. Over the past year, the United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, companies and government bodies operating in Xinjiang.

The genocide declaration is the sharpest response thus far. Last year, a Canadian parliamentary subcommittee reached the same conclusion. The declaration by Pompeo could lead to further penalties by the United States, but those decisions will now be in the hands of the Biden administration.

One test will be whether the Biden administration will try to persuade U.S. allies to support efforts to confront Beijing over its oppression in Xinjiang in a way the Trump administration did not. During his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, indicated that the United States would try to lobby support from other nations.

“When we are working with, not denigrating, our allies, that’s a source of strength for us in dealing with China,” he said.

On the final full day of the Trump presidency, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that China was carrying out a genocide against Uighurs and other Muslim people, the toughest condemnation yet of Beijing’s crackdown in its far western region of Xinjiang.

On the final full day of the Trump presidency, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared that China was carrying out a genocide against Uighurs and other Muslim people, the toughest condemnation yet of Beijing’s crackdown in its far western region of Xinjiang. The announcement was welcomed by exiled Uighurs as a long-desired recognition of the extent of oppression in Xinjiang. It was also criticized as a move that was delayed for too long and tainted by the Trump administration’s loss of credibility and efforts to overturn the presidential election results.\ Watch | The incoming Biden administration has indicated its general agreement with the designation. A spokesperson for Joe Biden said during the presidential campaign last year that Beijing’s policies in the region amounted to genocide. Here’s a look at the Xinjiang region, China’s crackdown there and what the genocide declaration could mean for the global response. Where is Xinjiang and why does it matter to China? Xinjiang, in the far northwestern region of China, has large numbers of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other mostly Muslim groups. It is culturally, linguistically and religiously more similar to Central Asia than the Chinese interior. The geography is dominated by the vast Taklamakan Desert in the center of the region, multiple mountain ranges and traditional oasis cities in the south. The area is rich in natural resources and has some of China’s largest oil deposits. The Communist Party has ruled the region with a heavy hand since it took over control in 1949. To many Uighurs, Xinjiang is known as East Turkestan, a name shared by two short-lived independent republics that existed before the Communist takeover. What is happening there? Uighurs have long bridled at Chinese control of the region, which has seen an influx of ethnic Chinese migrants and an increase in restrictions on local language, culture and religion. Minority groups in Xinjiang say they are not given jobs or contracts because of widespread racial discrimination. The resentment has sometimes boiled over into violence, including attacks on police officers and civilians. In 2009, nearly 200 people, mostly Han Chinese, were killed in riots in Urumqi, the regional capital. In 2016, a new Communist Party boss, Chen Quanguo, transferred to Xinjiang from Tibet. He began carrying out an intensified campaign of repression, putting large numbers of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other minority groups in re-education camps. Under Chen, the use of surveillance, in the form of both high-tech facial recognition monitoring and traditional measures like police checkpoints, surged in the region. China has also attempted to control the growth of the Uighur population, and researchers say it has used repressive methods such as forced sterilizations. Large numbers of children in Xinjiang have been placed in boarding schools designed to assimilate and indoctrinate them, according to the government’s published plans. And authorities have carried out the widespread destruction of mosques and shrines while turning others into tourist sites. What are the camps? Officials have held 1 million or more people in internment camps in Xinjiang, the country’s most sweeping mass detention program since the Mao era. A wide range of behavior can lead to detention, including acts of religious devotion, travel to certain countries, violations of birth restrictions or installing cellphone apps that allow encrypted messaging. Authorities at first denied the mass detentions. Then they acknowledged what they called a vocational training program meant to curb terrorism, separatism and religious extremism by giving people job skills and Chinese language training. Those who have been held in camps describe a rigorous prison environment filled with monotonous political indoctrination and, for many, terrorizing bouts of violence and physical abuse by guards. In 2019, Chinese authorities said they had wound down the program and released most of those who were held, an assertion that was met with wide skepticism by researchers and activist groups. While there were signs that some camps had been closed and some of those held released, China has also continued to expand detention facilities in the region, particularly high-security prisons. The region also experienced a record surge in arrests, trials and prison sentences, according to official data released in 2019. In addition, the authorities have pushed work programs in Xinjiang, including the transfer of workers within the region and to other parts of China, that critics say most likely involve coercion and forced labor. Why, in the U.S. view at least, do China’s actions in Xinjiang amount to genocide? In his statement, Pompeo said Chinese authorities in Xinjiang had committed crimes against humanity that include arbitrary imprisonment, forced sterilization, torture, forced labor and “draconian restrictions” on freedom of religion, expression and movement. He added that the United States believes that Chinese authorities have committed genocide because they had “engaged in the forced assimilation and eventual erasure of a vulnerable ethnic and religious minority group.” The 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which has been ratified by at least 149 countries including China, defines genocide as any of these acts committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnic, racial or religious group: Killing its members; causing them serious bodily or mental harm; deliberately inflicting conditions calculated to cause the group’s physical destruction; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. How has the world responded? The global response to the repression in Xinjiang has been relatively muted, an indication of China’s global clout. Over the past year, the United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese officials, companies and government bodies operating in Xinjiang. The genocide declaration is the sharpest response thus far. Last year, a Canadian parliamentary subcommittee reached the same conclusion. The declaration by Pompeo could lead to further penalties by the United States, but those decisions will now be in the hands of the Biden administration. One test will be whether the Biden administration will try to persuade U.S. allies to support efforts to confront Beijing over its oppression in Xinjiang in a way the Trump administration did not. During his Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday, Antony Blinken, Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, indicated that the United States would try to lobby support from other nations. “When we are working with, not denigrating, our allies, that’s a source of strength for us in dealing with China,” he said.

China's oppression of Muslims in Xinjiang, explained

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that China is committing genocide against the Uighurs and other mostly Muslim people, dramatically raising pressure on his last full day in office. 
 
"I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state," Pompeo said in a statement. 
 
"We will not remain silent. If the Chinese Communist Party is allowed to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against its own people, imagine what it will be emboldened to do to the free world, in the not-so-distant future," said Pompeo, whose vociferous criticism of Beijing has been a hallmark of his tenure. 
 
Pompeo urged all international bodies including courts to take up cases against China's treatment of the Uighurs and voiced confidence that the United States would keep raising pressure.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/turkey-accused-of-trading-uighurs-for-chinese-covid-19-vaccine-357132" hreflang="en">Turkey accused of trading Uighurs for Chinese covid-19 vaccine</a> 
 
Rights groups believe that at least one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking Muslims are incarcerated in camps in the western region of Xinjiang. 
 
Witnesses and activists say that China is seeking to forcibly integrate the Uighurs into the majority Han culture by eradicating Islamic customs, including by forcing Muslims to eat pork and drink alcohol, forbidden by their faith. 
 
China denies wrongdoing and contends that its camps are vocational training centers meant to reduce the allure of Islamic extremism in the wake of attacks.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/chinas-huawei-backtracks-after-filing-for-patent-of-ai-software-that-could-recognise-uighurs-356738" hreflang="en">China’s Huawei backtracks after filing for patent of AI software that could recognise Uighurs</a> 
 
Unlike many decisions by Pompeo seen as boxing in President-elect Joe Biden, the genocide declaration could be welcomed by the new administration. 
 
Biden himself has called for a stronger focus on human rights, with his campaign describing the treatment of the Uighurs as genocide, meaning that his administration will now face less pressure for a formal declaration once in office.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that China is committing genocide against the Uighurs and other mostly Muslim people, dramatically raising pressure on his last full day in office.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that China is committing genocide against the Uighurs and other mostly Muslim people, dramatically raising pressure on his last full day in office. "I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uighurs by the Chinese party-state," Pompeo said in a statement. "We will not remain silent. If the Chinese Communist Party is allowed to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against its own people, imagine what it will be emboldened to do to the free world, in the not-so-distant future," said Pompeo, whose vociferous criticism of Beijing has been a hallmark of his tenure. Pompeo urged all international bodies including courts to take up cases against China's treatment of the Uighurs and voiced confidence that the United States would keep raising pressure. Also read: Turkey accused of trading Uighurs for Chinese covid-19 vaccine Rights groups believe that at least one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking Muslims are incarcerated in camps in the western region of Xinjiang. Witnesses and activists say that China is seeking to forcibly integrate the Uighurs into the majority Han culture by eradicating Islamic customs, including by forcing Muslims to eat pork and drink alcohol, forbidden by their faith. China denies wrongdoing and contends that its camps are vocational training centers meant to reduce the allure of Islamic extremism in the wake of attacks. Also read: China’s Huawei backtracks after filing for patent of AI software that could recognise Uighurs Unlike many decisions by Pompeo seen as boxing in President-elect Joe Biden, the genocide declaration could be welcomed by the new administration. Biden himself has called for a stronger focus on human rights, with his campaign describing the treatment of the Uighurs as genocide, meaning that his administration will now face less pressure for a formal declaration once in office.

China carrying out 'genocide' against Uighurs in Xinjiang: US Secretary of State Pompeo

China had an "appalling year" in terms of human rights in 2020, said Human Rights Watch on Wednesday. 
 
The group took into account the crackdown on free speech in Hong Kong with new security laws, the persecution of Uighur Muslims, and attempts at silencing people that were vigorously reporting on the pandemic.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uk-condemn-chinese-abuse-against-uighur-minority-356359/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Just last week, a court in China sentenced a citizen-journalist to four years in jail after he reported from Wuhan, the original epicentre of the virus where it initially began. Many others who attempted to report on the pandemic have since then disappeared.

"To crack down on whistleblowers and citizen-journalists at this particular moment ... helps highlight to the rest of the world what the consequences of violations inside China can be," Sophie Richardson, Human Rights Watch (HRW) for China claimed after releasing its yearly report.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-denies-forceful-use-of-birth-control-measures-on-uighur-women-355991" hreflang="en">China denies forceful use of birth control measures on Uighur women</a> 
 
Earlier, HRW's Executive Director Kenneth Roth had told Reuters that China is the biggest threat to human rights around the world. Roth added that President Xi Jinping had "embarked on the most intense repression" in China since 1989 when the Tiananmen Square crackdown took place.

As part of the national security law which was introduced in Hong Kong, 53 pro-democracy activists have been arrested in raids over the last week.&nbsp;

In addition, Beijing stands accused of the persecution and forced labour of Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/twitter-removes-chinese-embassys-post-claiming-uighur-women-not-forcefully-sterilised-355755" hreflang="en">Twitter removes Chinese embassy's post claiming Uighur women not forcefully sterilised</a>

Richardson noted how Uighurs' plight remains largely ignored on the global stage, and how it was similar to what Rohingya Muslims were undergoing in Myanmar. 
 
She added how the European Union's investment pact with China remains problematic, after a year of China "publicly shredding" its commitments in terms of human rights. 
 
"Putting a dent in the Chinese government's sense of impunity for serious human rights violations is a real priority, we think, for governments and for institutions like the UN," she said, while adding that criticism against China is now growing in the international community.

China had an "appalling year" in terms of human rights in 2020, said Human Rights Watch on Wednesday. The group took into account the crackdown on free speech in Hong Kong with new security laws, the persecution of Uighur Muslims, and attempts at silencing people that were vigorously reporting on the pandemic.

China had an "appalling year" in terms of human rights in 2020, said Human Rights Watch on Wednesday. The group took into account the crackdown on free speech in Hong Kong with new security laws, the persecution of Uighur Muslims, and attempts at silencing people that were vigorously reporting on the pandemic. Just last week, a court in China sentenced a citizen-journalist to four years in jail after he reported from Wuhan, the original epicentre of the virus where it initially began. Many others who attempted to report on the pandemic have since then disappeared. "To crack down on whistleblowers and citizen-journalists at this particular moment ... helps highlight to the rest of the world what the consequences of violations inside China can be," Sophie Richardson, Human Rights Watch (HRW) for China claimed after releasing its yearly report. Also read: China denies forceful use of birth control measures on Uighur women Earlier, HRW's Executive Director Kenneth Roth had told Reuters that China is the biggest threat to human rights around the world. Roth added that President Xi Jinping had "embarked on the most intense repression" in China since 1989 when the Tiananmen Square crackdown took place. As part of the national security law which was introduced in Hong Kong, 53 pro-democracy activists have been arrested in raids over the last week. In addition, Beijing stands accused of the persecution and forced labour of Uighurs in the western region of Xinjiang. Also read: Twitter removes Chinese embassy's post claiming Uighur women not forcefully sterilised Richardson noted how Uighurs' plight remains largely ignored on the global stage, and how it was similar to what Rohingya Muslims were undergoing in Myanmar. She added how the European Union's investment pact with China remains problematic, after a year of China "publicly shredding" its commitments in terms of human rights. "Putting a dent in the Chinese government's sense of impunity for serious human rights violations is a real priority, we think, for governments and for institutions like the UN," she said, while adding that criticism against China is now growing in the international community.

For China, 2020 was an 'appalling year' of violations: Human Rights Watch

China on Thursday confirmed that a Uighur Muslim doctor has been sent to jail on terrorism charges, a day after her family claimed that she had been imprisoned for 20 years.

The relatives of Gulshan Abbas on Wednesday told US congressional committee that she had been sentenced to 20 years due to her involvement in the rights of Uighur Muslims, a minority community in China.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-jails-10-hong-kong-activists-over-border-crossing-353313/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

&nbsp;

Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Thursday that Abbas has been sentenced for participating in "organised terrorism, aiding terrorist activities and seriously disrupting social order".

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-tells-us-politicians-to-stop-using-xinjiang-to-interfere-in-its-affairs-353565">China tells US politicians to stop using Xinjiang to interfere in its affairs &nbsp;</a>

"Gulshan Abbas has been sentenced according to the law by Chinese judicial organs for taking part in organised terrorism, aiding terrorist activities and seriously disrupting social order," Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.

He also asked US leaders to "respect facts, stop fabricating lies to smear China" and not indulge in the Xinjiang issue, calling it Beijing's internal affairs.&nbsp;

Rights activists claim about one million Uighurs and people from other Turkish minorities are put in detention camps in the northwestern Xinjiang region in China in abysmal condition.&nbsp;

China describes these facilities as "vocational training centres", but rights group say prisoners face torture and forced labour.&nbsp;

China on Thursday confirmed that a Uighur Muslim doctor has been sent to jail on terrorism charges, a day after her family claimed that she had been imprisoned for 20 years.

China on Thursday confirmed that a Uighur Muslim doctor has been sent to jail on terrorism charges, a day after her family claimed that she had been imprisoned for 20 years. The relatives of Gulshan Abbas on Wednesday told US congressional committee that she had been sentenced to 20 years due to her involvement in the rights of Uighur Muslims, a minority community in China. Watch | Foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters on Thursday that Abbas has been sentenced for participating in "organised terrorism, aiding terrorist activities and seriously disrupting social order". Also read | China tells US politicians to stop using Xinjiang to interfere in its affairs "Gulshan Abbas has been sentenced according to the law by Chinese judicial organs for taking part in organised terrorism, aiding terrorist activities and seriously disrupting social order," Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. He also asked US leaders to "respect facts, stop fabricating lies to smear China" and not indulge in the Xinjiang issue, calling it Beijing's internal affairs. Rights activists claim about one million Uighurs and people from other Turkish minorities are put in detention camps in the northwestern Xinjiang region in China in abysmal condition. China describes these facilities as "vocational training centres", but rights group say prisoners face torture and forced labour.

China confirms Uighur doctor imprisoned on terrorism charges

China on Thursday urged US politicians to stop using issues in its Xinjiang region to interfere in its affairs &nbsp;-- in the aftermath of the United States demanding the release of a Uighur doctor.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments at a regular news conference in Beijing.

The doctor's family said she was sentenced to 20 years of jail in China because of her family members' human rights activism in the United States.

The daughter of Gulshan Abbas told a briefing organised with the bipartisan US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) that the family had recently learned her mother received the sentence in March last year on terrorism-related charges after disappearing in September 2018.

The daughter, Ziba Murat, called the charges “preposterous.” Gulshan’s sister, Rushan Abbas, said they stemmed from activism by her and her brother Rishat Abbas, both of whom are based in the United States.

In a tweet, the US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Robert Destro, said Gulshan Abbas must be released.

Ziba Murat said she could not reveal the source of the information on the sentencing to protect their identity.

UN experts and advocates say at least a million ethnic Uighurs have been detained at some point in camps in China's Xinjiang region.

China calls the heavily guarded centers educational and vocational institutes, and says all those who attended have “graduated” and gone home. Access to the camps is restricted and it is not possible to independently verify whether all have closed.

China on Thursday urged US politicians to stop using issues in its Xinjiang region to interfere in its affairs -- in the aftermath of the United States demanding the release of a Uighur doctor.

China on Thursday urged US politicians to stop using issues in its Xinjiang region to interfere in its affairs -- in the aftermath of the United States demanding the release of a Uighur doctor. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the comments at a regular news conference in Beijing. The doctor's family said she was sentenced to 20 years of jail in China because of her family members' human rights activism in the United States. The daughter of Gulshan Abbas told a briefing organised with the bipartisan US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) that the family had recently learned her mother received the sentence in March last year on terrorism-related charges after disappearing in September 2018. The daughter, Ziba Murat, called the charges “preposterous.” Gulshan’s sister, Rushan Abbas, said they stemmed from activism by her and her brother Rishat Abbas, both of whom are based in the United States. In a tweet, the US assistant secretary of state for democracy, human rights and labor, Robert Destro, said Gulshan Abbas must be released. Ziba Murat said she could not reveal the source of the information on the sentencing to protect their identity. UN experts and advocates say at least a million ethnic Uighurs have been detained at some point in camps in China's Xinjiang region. China calls the heavily guarded centers educational and vocational institutes, and says all those who attended have “graduated” and gone home. Access to the camps is restricted and it is not possible to independently verify whether all have closed.

China tells US politicians to stop using Xinjiang to interfere in its affairs

China on Tuesday announced the ratification of an extradition treaty with Turkey&nbsp;that human rights groups warn could endanger Uighur families and activists fleeing persecution by Chinese authorities if it is adopted by Ankara.

The treaty, first signed in 2017, was formalised on the weekend at the national people’s congress, with state media saying it would be utilised for counter-psychological warfare purposes.

Confronting solid resistance inside its parliament, Turkey's administration has not yet confirmed the arrangement, and critics have asked the public authority to desert it and keep the settlement from "turning into an instrument of oppression".&nbsp;

Turkey has linguistic and cultural ties with the Uighurs and Ankara has for quite some time been one of the primary safeguards of their motivation on the worldwide stage, however lately Turkey's public demonstration of help has faded.&nbsp;

China's abuse of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang has raised as of late, adding up to what specialists have said is social slaughter. More than 1,000,000 individuals are suspected to have been kept in internment camps, and there is mounting proof of re-training programs, limitations on strict and social convictions, implemented work programs, mass reconnaissance, and constrained disinfection of ladies.&nbsp;

As indicated by unfamiliar specialists, the Chinese specialists have interned at any rate 1,000,000 individuals, including Uighurs, in "camps". Beijing has dismissed these allegations from the West saying they are "professional instructional hubs" expected to help retrain the populace to look for some kind of employment and consequently move away from fanaticism.&nbsp;

Individuals from the Uighur diaspora have given proof of facilitated Chinese endeavors to have individuals re-visitation of Xinjiang or to utilize family inside China to pressure people abroad against directing activism.&nbsp;

China continues to deny the allegations and says the strategies are to counter illegal intimidation and mitigate destitution. Authorities routinely excuse all reports of maltreatment as creations.&nbsp;

In May, basic liberties bunch Nordic Monitor, communicated caution at ambiguities in the content of the arrangement, including a statement that "it will not make any difference whether the laws of the two players place the offense inside a similar classification or portray the offense by a similar wording".&nbsp;

Different articles permit one gathering to decline the solicitation in the event that they trust it is simply political or military, or if the subject has been allowed refuge.&nbsp;

Leo Lan, representative for China Human Rights Defenders, said the arrangement would open Uighurs to a higher danger being gotten back to China, where they could confront detainment and torment, and he cautioned Turkey of its worldwide commitments of non-refoulement.&nbsp;

"China can utilize questionable and comprehensively characterized public security charges to demand the removal of specific individuals to China," Lan told the Guardian.&nbsp;

Generally, Turkey has since quite a while ago invited Uighurs and Turkic Muslims escaping China and has stood in opposition to mishandles. An expected 50,000 Uighurs are outcasts in Turkey. In May, Turkey's diplomat to the US repeated the social and semantic ties between the ethnic minority gatherings and Turkey, and disclosed to Axios that "any issue relating to their prosperity holds an extraordinary put on our plan".&nbsp;

Anyway as of late Ankara has developed nearer to Beijing, and expanded its help with catching or examining Uighurs who Chinese specialists have blamed for illegal intimidation. While it will not restore Uighurs to China straightforwardly, Turkey has been blamed for sending them to a third nation, similar to Tajikistan, where removal to China is simpler.&nbsp;

Dilxat Raxit, representative for the German-based Uighur World Congress said "This removal deal will cause stress among Uighurs who have fled China and don't yet have Turkish citizenship."

"We approach the Turkish government ... to keep this arrangement from turning into an instrument of oppression," he stated, asserting that Beijing was applying financial tension on Turkey to endorse the deal.&nbsp;

Steve Tsang, director&nbsp;of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, said the key inquiry was whether Turkey would focus on securing Uighurs inside its outskirts as per worldwide rules and straightforwardness, even notwithstanding pressure from Beijing.&nbsp;

"On the off chance that it won't do as such, it will make Uighurs living in Turkey stressed over their security as they can get exposed to removal under this new arrangement," Tsang told the South China Morning Post.&nbsp;

Media reports speculated Beijing was at that point squeezing Turkey to sanction the arrangement, utilizing its guaranteed supply of Covid-19 inoculations. China has a background marked by utilizing and pulling out an exchange to accomplish strategic points. Turkey's first shipment has supposedly been postponed a few days effectively, because of "customs" related issues.

China on Tuesday announced the ratification of an extradition treaty with Turkey that human rights groups warn could endanger Uighur families and activists fleeing persecution by Chinese authorities if it is adopted by Ankara.

China on Tuesday announced the ratification of an extradition treaty with Turkey that human rights groups warn could endanger Uighur families and activists fleeing persecution by Chinese authorities if it is adopted by Ankara. The treaty, first signed in 2017, was formalised on the weekend at the national people’s congress, with state media saying it would be utilised for counter-psychological warfare purposes. Confronting solid resistance inside its parliament, Turkey's administration has not yet confirmed the arrangement, and critics have asked the public authority to desert it and keep the settlement from "turning into an instrument of oppression". Turkey has linguistic and cultural ties with the Uighurs and Ankara has for quite some time been one of the primary safeguards of their motivation on the worldwide stage, however lately Turkey's public demonstration of help has faded. China's abuse of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang has raised as of late, adding up to what specialists have said is social slaughter. More than 1,000,000 individuals are suspected to have been kept in internment camps, and there is mounting proof of re-training programs, limitations on strict and social convictions, implemented work programs, mass reconnaissance, and constrained disinfection of ladies. As indicated by unfamiliar specialists, the Chinese specialists have interned at any rate 1,000,000 individuals, including Uighurs, in "camps". Beijing has dismissed these allegations from the West saying they are "professional instructional hubs" expected to help retrain the populace to look for some kind of employment and consequently move away from fanaticism. Individuals from the Uighur diaspora have given proof of facilitated Chinese endeavors to have individuals re-visitation of Xinjiang or to utilize family inside China to pressure people abroad against directing activism. China continues to deny the allegations and says the strategies are to counter illegal intimidation and mitigate destitution. Authorities routinely excuse all reports of maltreatment as creations. In May, basic liberties bunch Nordic Monitor, communicated caution at ambiguities in the content of the arrangement, including a statement that "it will not make any difference whether the laws of the two players place the offense inside a similar classification or portray the offense by a similar wording". Different articles permit one gathering to decline the solicitation in the event that they trust it is simply political or military, or if the subject has been allowed refuge. Leo Lan, representative for China Human Rights Defenders, said the arrangement would open Uighurs to a higher danger being gotten back to China, where they could confront detainment and torment, and he cautioned Turkey of its worldwide commitments of non-refoulement. "China can utilize questionable and comprehensively characterized public security charges to demand the removal of specific individuals to China," Lan told the Guardian. Generally, Turkey has since quite a while ago invited Uighurs and Turkic Muslims escaping China and has stood in opposition to mishandles. An expected 50,000 Uighurs are outcasts in Turkey. In May, Turkey's diplomat to the US repeated the social and semantic ties between the ethnic minority gatherings and Turkey, and disclosed to Axios that "any issue relating to their prosperity holds an extraordinary put on our plan". Anyway as of late Ankara has developed nearer to Beijing, and expanded its help with catching or examining Uighurs who Chinese specialists have blamed for illegal intimidation. While it will not restore Uighurs to China straightforwardly, Turkey has been blamed for sending them to a third nation, similar to Tajikistan, where removal to China is simpler. Dilxat Raxit, representative for the German-based Uighur World Congress said "This removal deal will cause stress among Uighurs who have fled China and don't yet have Turkish citizenship." "We approach the Turkish government ... to keep this arrangement from turning into an instrument of oppression," he stated, asserting that Beijing was applying financial tension on Turkey to endorse the deal. Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute at the University of London, said the key inquiry was whether Turkey would focus on securing Uighurs inside its outskirts as per worldwide rules and straightforwardness, even notwithstanding pressure from Beijing. "On the off chance that it won't do as such, it will make Uighurs living in Turkey stressed over their security as they can get exposed to removal under this new arrangement," Tsang told the South China Morning Post. Media reports speculated Beijing was at that point squeezing Turkey to sanction the arrangement, utilizing its guaranteed supply of Covid-19 inoculations. China has a background marked by utilizing and pulling out an exchange to accomplish strategic points. Turkey's first shipment has supposedly been postponed a few days effectively, because of "customs" related issues.

China ratifies extradition treaty; pressure on Turkey to protect Uighurs

China is reportedly making hundreds of thousands of Uighurs pick cotton across fields in the region of Xinjiang, a new report by the BBC claims. Along with Uighurs, other minorities are also being pushed into forced manual labour.

The online documents shed light on how China is using minorities to pick cotton. Chinese cotton accounts for a fifth of the global supply and provides for the world fashion industry.

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Millions continue to remain detained in camps. In addition to that, Uighurs are forcefully employed in textile factories. The Chinese government continues to deny the claims, saying that the detention centres are vocational training schools. In addition, they claim that the factories are part of poverty alleviation scheme, and that people join in voluntary.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/uighur-alarm-huawei-worked-with-companies-to-build-tools-that-track-people-by-ethnicity-349670" hreflang="en">Uighur alarm: Huawei worked with companies to build tools that track people by ethnicity</a>

According to the documents seen by the BBC, more than half a million workers from minority groups are forced to pick cotton in a coercive environment.

Dr Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington uncovered the documents and said the forced labour exists on a “historical scale”, calling the discovery a “game-changer”. Zenz added how Xinjiang produces 85 per cent of China’s cotton, and 20 per cent of the global supply.

The documents accessed by BBC include government policy papers, and local news reports, which allege that Aksu and Hota prefectures sent 210,000 workers to pick cotton as part of a “labour transfer” programme in 2018. Allegedly, they picked cotton for Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps - a paramilitary organisation.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/icc-asks-for-more-evidence-on-claims-of-uighur-genocide-349238" hreflang="en">ICC asks for more evidence on claims of Uighur genocide</a>

In 2020, the prefecture of Aksu met the need for 142,700 workers on its fields by “transferring all those who should be transferred”. As part of such efforts, minorities are “mobilised” and then sent to fields hundreds of kilometres away.

Over the last few years, China’s poverty alleviation programmes have worked extra hard as part of Xi Jinping’s ambition to eliminate poverty before the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2021.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/china-calls-pope-francis-remarks-on-persecuted-uighurs-groundless-345117" hreflang="en">China calls Pope Francis' remarks on 'persecuted' Uighurs 'groundless'</a>

After two attacks on commuters in Beijing in 2013, and Kunming in 2014, Uighur Islamists were blamed. Soon after, “re-education camps” started popping up. In these camps were people who showed behaviour exhibiting untrustworthiness. These include the installation of encrypted messaging applications, viewing religious material, and in some cases even a relative living overseas.

China hopes to transform the “outdated ideas” of minorities through its camps.

China is reportedly making hundreds of thousands of Uighurs pick cotton across fields in the region of Xinjiang, a new report by the BBC claims. Along with Uighurs, other minorities are also being pushed into forced manual labour.

China is reportedly making hundreds of thousands of Uighurs pick cotton across fields in the region of Xinjiang, a new report by the BBC claims. Along with Uighurs, other minorities are also being pushed into forced manual labour. The online documents shed light on how China is using minorities to pick cotton. Chinese cotton accounts for a fifth of the global supply and provides for the world fashion industry. Millions continue to remain detained in camps. In addition to that, Uighurs are forcefully employed in textile factories. The Chinese government continues to deny the claims, saying that the detention centres are vocational training schools. In addition, they claim that the factories are part of poverty alleviation scheme, and that people join in voluntary. Also read: Uighur alarm: Huawei worked with companies to build tools that track people by ethnicity According to the documents seen by the BBC, more than half a million workers from minority groups are forced to pick cotton in a coercive environment. Dr Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in Washington uncovered the documents and said the forced labour exists on a “historical scale”, calling the discovery a “game-changer”. Zenz added how Xinjiang produces 85 per cent of China’s cotton, and 20 per cent of the global supply. The documents accessed by BBC include government policy papers, and local news reports, which allege that Aksu and Hota prefectures sent 210,000 workers to pick cotton as part of a “labour transfer” programme in 2018. Allegedly, they picked cotton for Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps - a paramilitary organisation. Also read: ICC asks for more evidence on claims of Uighur genocide In 2020, the prefecture of Aksu met the need for 142,700 workers on its fields by “transferring all those who should be transferred”. As part of such efforts, minorities are “mobilised” and then sent to fields hundreds of kilometres away. Over the last few years, China’s poverty alleviation programmes have worked extra hard as part of Xi Jinping’s ambition to eliminate poverty before the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2021. Also read: China calls Pope Francis' remarks on 'persecuted' Uighurs 'groundless' After two attacks on commuters in Beijing in 2013, and Kunming in 2014, Uighur Islamists were blamed. Soon after, “re-education camps” started popping up. In these camps were people who showed behaviour exhibiting untrustworthiness. These include the installation of encrypted messaging applications, viewing religious material, and in some cases even a relative living overseas. China hopes to transform the “outdated ideas” of minorities through its camps.

Uighurs in China being forced into hard, manual labour including cotton picking: Report

Barcelona's star Antoine Griezmann on Thursday said that he is ending his sponsorship contract with Huawei. The French striker made this move after reports emerged saying that the Chinese telecoms giant was involved in the surveillance of Uighur Muslims.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/sports/nothing-better-than-actions-kylian-mbappe-on-fight-against-racism-348779" hreflang="en">'Nothing better than actions': Kylian Mbappe on fight against racism</a>

Frenchman Griezmann said on Instagram: "Following strong suspicions that Huawei has contributed to the development of a 'Uighurs alert' through the use of facial recognition software, I am immediately ending my partnership with the company."

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According to the Washington Post, the Chinese tech giant has tested facial recognition software that could send automated “Uighur alarms” to government authorities when its camera systems identify members of the oppressed minority group. An internal document revealed the details of it.&nbsp;

This document, that was signed by Huawei's representatives, said that the firm worked in 2018 with the facial recognition start-up Megvii to test an artificial intelligence camera system that could scan faces in a crowd and estimate each person’s age, sex and ethnicity. The document was discovered by IPVM, a Pennsylvania-based company that reviews and investigates video-surveillance equipment. This document was shared exclusively with The Washington Post.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/benzemas-brace-helps-real-madrid-beat-gladbach-and-progress-into-next-round-348749" hreflang="en">Benzema's brace helps Real Madrid beat Gladbach and progress into next round</a>

China has come under intense international criticism over its policies in the resource-rich Xinjiang territory, where rights groups say as many as one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in internment camps.

China defends the camps as vocational training centres aimed at stamping out terrorism and improving employment opportunities.

World Cup-winner Antoine Griezmann decided to cut his sponsorship after this report.&nbsp;

Barcelona's star Antoine Griezmann on Thursday said that he is ending his sponsorship contract with Huawei. The French striker made this move after reports emerged saying that the Chinese telecoms giant was involved in the surveillance of Uighur Muslims.

Barcelona's star Antoine Griezmann on Thursday said that he is ending his sponsorship contract with Huawei. The French striker made this move after reports emerged saying that the Chinese telecoms giant was involved in the surveillance of Uighur Muslims. Also read: 'Nothing better than actions': Kylian Mbappe on fight against racism Frenchman Griezmann said on Instagram: "Following strong suspicions that Huawei has contributed to the development of a 'Uighurs alert' through the use of facial recognition software, I am immediately ending my partnership with the company." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Antoine Griezmann (@antogriezmann) × According to the Washington Post, the Chinese tech giant has tested facial recognition software that could send automated “Uighur alarms” to government authorities when its camera systems identify members of the oppressed minority group. An internal document revealed the details of it. This document, that was signed by Huawei's representatives, said that the firm worked in 2018 with the facial recognition start-up Megvii to test an artificial intelligence camera system that could scan faces in a crowd and estimate each person’s age, sex and ethnicity. The document was discovered by IPVM, a Pennsylvania-based company that reviews and investigates video-surveillance equipment. This document was shared exclusively with The Washington Post. Also read: Benzema's brace helps Real Madrid beat Gladbach and progress into next round China has come under intense international criticism over its policies in the resource-rich Xinjiang territory, where rights groups say as many as one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been held in internment camps. China defends the camps as vocational training centres aimed at stamping out terrorism and improving employment opportunities. World Cup-winner Antoine Griezmann decided to cut his sponsorship after this report.

Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann says ending Huawei contract over Uighurs claims

After a parliamentary study established "genocide" against the Uyghurs in China, members of Parliament in Canada are continuing to push for the Justin Trudeau led-government to impose sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses.

"Some of the testimony we heard was so horrendous that I`m certain some people would actually look at this and think it`s a movie script. But this is actually happening," Conservative MP David Sweet was quoted by Global News.

These remarks come after a subcommittee last month released a statement detailing the findings of their study into the human rights situation of Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims in the Xinjiang province.Responding to the report, Sweet said, "We encourage the government as well... that they would align with, certainly our Commonwealth partners, and make sure that we`re establishing a very clear response to the bully tactics from the Chinese Communist Party."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/pompeo-says-china-treatment-of-uighurs-gravest-threat-to-religious-freedom-338812" hreflang="en">Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom</a>

Besides Sweet, Heather McPherson said that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has spoken about the issue, adding that "we have heard the words that Minister Champagne and the prime minister have said, but what we are looking for is further action, of course, and hopefully that this statement and our subsequent report will lead to greater impact and greater action, particularly working with our allies.

"In the report published in October, the subcommittee said that human rights abuses, ranging from mass detentions, to forced sterilizations, to claims of widespread organ harvesting and coerced labour."

Survivors of the concentration camps described deplorable conditions. The subcommittee heard that detainees are abused psychologically, physically and sexually.

They are forbidden from speaking the Uyghur language or practising their religion," the statement said.The statement also alleged campaign of "inhumane population control measures."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/world/us-says-no-justification-for-uighur-concentration-camps-in-china-337512" hreflang="en">US says no justification for Uighur 'concentration camps' in China</a>

"Documents show that in 2019, officials in Xinjiang hoped to subject over 80 per cent of women of childbearing age in the four Uyghur majority southern prefectures to birth control measures with long-term effectiveness," the statement was quoted by Global News.

The subcommittee was told that population growth in predominantly Uyghur areas of Xinjiang fell by 84 per cent between 2015 and 2018.Classified documents known as the China Cables, accessed last year by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, threw light on how the Chinese government uses technology to control Uyghur Muslims worldwide.

However, China regularly denies such mistreatment and says the camps provide "vocational training."People in the internment camps have said they are subjected to forced political indoctrination, torture, beatings and denial of food and medicine, besides being prohibited from practising their religion or speaking their language.

After a parliamentary study established "genocide" against the Uyghurs in China, members of Parliament in Canada are continuing to push for the Justin Trudeau led-government to impose sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses.

After a parliamentary study established "genocide" against the Uyghurs in China, members of Parliament in Canada are continuing to push for the Justin Trudeau led-government to impose sanctions on Chinese officials for human rights abuses. "Some of the testimony we heard was so horrendous that I`m certain some people would actually look at this and think it`s a movie script. But this is actually happening," Conservative MP David Sweet was quoted by Global News. These remarks come after a subcommittee last month released a statement detailing the findings of their study into the human rights situation of Uyghur and other Turkic Muslims in the Xinjiang province.Responding to the report, Sweet said, "We encourage the government as well... that they would align with, certainly our Commonwealth partners, and make sure that we`re establishing a very clear response to the bully tactics from the Chinese Communist Party." Also read: Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom Besides Sweet, Heather McPherson said that Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau has spoken about the issue, adding that "we have heard the words that Minister Champagne and the prime minister have said, but what we are looking for is further action, of course, and hopefully that this statement and our subsequent report will lead to greater impact and greater action, particularly working with our allies. "In the report published in October, the subcommittee said that human rights abuses, ranging from mass detentions, to forced sterilizations, to claims of widespread organ harvesting and coerced labour." Survivors of the concentration camps described deplorable conditions. The subcommittee heard that detainees are abused psychologically, physically and sexually. They are forbidden from speaking the Uyghur language or practising their religion," the statement said.The statement also alleged campaign of "inhumane population control measures." Also read: US says no justification for Uighur 'concentration camps' in China "Documents show that in 2019, officials in Xinjiang hoped to subject over 80 per cent of women of childbearing age in the four Uyghur majority southern prefectures to birth control measures with long-term effectiveness," the statement was quoted by Global News. The subcommittee was told that population growth in predominantly Uyghur areas of Xinjiang fell by 84 per cent between 2015 and 2018.Classified documents known as the China Cables, accessed last year by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, threw light on how the Chinese government uses technology to control Uyghur Muslims worldwide. However, China regularly denies such mistreatment and says the camps provide "vocational training."People in the internment camps have said they are subjected to forced political indoctrination, torture, beatings and denial of food and medicine, besides being prohibited from practising their religion or speaking their language.

After parliamentary study on Uyghur 'genocide', Canada pushes for sanctions on Chinese officials

The&nbsp;Uighurs being subjected to atrocities in China's&nbsp;Xinjiang region has once again been highlighted as China's biggest and recent coronavirus outbreak has been linked to the camps in which the community is subjected to forced labour.

More than 180 coronavirus cases have been reported in the last week. All these cases have been recorded in&nbsp;Shufu county, in southern Xinjiang and have been traced to a factory which was established in 2018 as a part of the Chinese government's plan of&nbsp;"poverty alleviation".

As per the locals, the factory in question is a "satellite factory" that produces clothing, curtains and bedding and employs nearly 300 workers, out of which majority are women workers, working for a daily wage of maximum&nbsp;90 yuan (about £10).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-says-china-treatment-of-uighurs-gravest-threat-to-religious-freedom-338812">Also read|&nbsp;Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom</a>

“This is a village factory that is part of the scheme to put all adult Uighurs and related minorities into low-skilled factory work as part of poverty alleviation,” said Adrian Zenz, a researcher focused on Xinjiang who has analysed public documents and official language related to the programme.

This is not the first time the atrocities of the Chinese government have been highlighted. Earlier, too, experts and international organisations have criticised the&nbsp;"poverty alleviation" programmes, labelling them as 'coercive' and 'inhumane'. The Chinese government claims that under this scheme,&nbsp;Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region are provided with a work placement opportunity. However, the experts seem to believe that this 'opportunity' is mandatory and majorly forced labour, rather than an option.

“Clearly, ‘industry-based poverty alleviation’ is not voluntary but mandatory. Those who resist being ‘alleviated’ from their poverty are subjected to ideological education so that their thinking aligns with the state’s goals,” he said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/new-coronavirus-outbreak-detected-in-chinas-kashgar-city-337973">Also read|&nbsp;New coronavirus outbreak detected in China's Kashgar city</a>

In the recent case, the region has reported 183 coronavirus infections out of which&nbsp;138 patients were asymptomatic and three have been reported to be in a critical situation and are undergoing treatment. The authorities have claimed that the outbreak started from a 17-year-old girl who had&nbsp;eaten dinner with her parents at Shuchang and works at the factory. The young girl, reportedly, belongs to a nearby village as returns home after every two weeks as she mainly resides in the&nbsp;factory dormitory.

China has time and again been criticised for its inhumane treatment of the&nbsp;Uighur residents in the&nbsp;Xinjiang region. The restrictive release of information has only raised concerns of the human rights activists, leading to many organisations cutting their ties from the production factories accused of indulging in forced labour. The activists have also urged international organisations to help the minority communities and had earlier, too, earned them of a 'wartime' situation in the region due to a possible outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

The Uighurs being subjected to atrocities in China's Xinjiang region has once again been highlighted as China's biggest and recent coronavirus outbreak has been linked to the camps in which the community is subjected to forced labour.

The Uighurs being subjected to atrocities in China's Xinjiang region has once again been highlighted as China's biggest and recent coronavirus outbreak has been linked to the camps in which the community is subjected to forced labour. More than 180 coronavirus cases have been reported in the last week. All these cases have been recorded in Shufu county, in southern Xinjiang and have been traced to a factory which was established in 2018 as a part of the Chinese government's plan of "poverty alleviation". As per the locals, the factory in question is a "satellite factory" that produces clothing, curtains and bedding and employs nearly 300 workers, out of which majority are women workers, working for a daily wage of maximum 90 yuan (about £10). Also read| Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom “This is a village factory that is part of the scheme to put all adult Uighurs and related minorities into low-skilled factory work as part of poverty alleviation,” said Adrian Zenz, a researcher focused on Xinjiang who has analysed public documents and official language related to the programme. This is not the first time the atrocities of the Chinese government have been highlighted. Earlier, too, experts and international organisations have criticised the "poverty alleviation" programmes, labelling them as 'coercive' and 'inhumane'. The Chinese government claims that under this scheme, Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region are provided with a work placement opportunity. However, the experts seem to believe that this 'opportunity' is mandatory and majorly forced labour, rather than an option. “Clearly, ‘industry-based poverty alleviation’ is not voluntary but mandatory. Those who resist being ‘alleviated’ from their poverty are subjected to ideological education so that their thinking aligns with the state’s goals,” he said. Also read| New coronavirus outbreak detected in China's Kashgar city In the recent case, the region has reported 183 coronavirus infections out of which 138 patients were asymptomatic and three have been reported to be in a critical situation and are undergoing treatment. The authorities have claimed that the outbreak started from a 17-year-old girl who had eaten dinner with her parents at Shuchang and works at the factory. The young girl, reportedly, belongs to a nearby village as returns home after every two weeks as she mainly resides in the factory dormitory. China has time and again been criticised for its inhumane treatment of the Uighur residents in the Xinjiang region. The restrictive release of information has only raised concerns of the human rights activists, leading to many organisations cutting their ties from the production factories accused of indulging in forced labour. The activists have also urged international organisations to help the minority communities and had earlier, too, earned them of a 'wartime' situation in the region due to a possible outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

COVID-19 outbreak in China shows ties with forced labour in Xinjiang

China is the "gravest threat" to the future of religious freedom, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, in his latest verbal assault on Beijing during a whirlwind Asian tour.

Pompeo has made attacks against China the focus of his trip this week which kicked off in India and included visits to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, and, later Friday, Vietnam.

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Pompeo&nbsp;said China had brutalised its Uighur minority in Xinjiang province, corralling them in huge detention centres and forcing some to eat pork during the Islamic holy month.

In his address to the youth wing of Indonesia's largest Muslim group, he also accused China of separating Uighur children from their parents and imposing sterilisations.

China denies mistreating Uighurs and says the camps are vocational training centres that are needed to tackle extremism and promote development.

"The gravest threat to the future of religious freedom is the Chinese Communist Party's war against people of all faiths: Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and Falun Gong practitioners alike," Pompeo said in a speech Thursday to major Muslim organisation the Nahdlatul Ulama.

"The atheist Chinese communist party has tried to convince the world that its brutalisation of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang is necessary as counter-terrorism or poverty alleviation," he added.

Rights groups say that more than one million Uighurs languish in camps in the northwest Xinjiang region as Beijing attempts to forcibly integrate the community and root out its Islamic heritage.

China has denied the numbers and describes the camps as vocational centres that teach skills to prevent the allure of Islamic radicalism following a series of attacks.

"But we know that there is no counter-terrorism justification in forcing Uighur Muslims to eat pork during Ramadan, or destroying a Muslim cemetery," Pompeo said.

"There is no poverty-alleviation justification for forced sterilisations, or taking children away from their parents to be re-educated in state-run boarding schools."

Pompeo rejected what he called Beijing's "fantastic tales of happy Uighurs".

"The Chinese Communist Party has tried to convince Indonesians to look away from the torments your fellow Muslims are suffering... Search your hearts. Look at the facts," he said.

"Think about what you know of how an authoritarian government treats those who resist its rule."

China is Indonesia's biggest trading partner and criticism in the Southeast Asian country of Beijing's treatment of Uighurs has been muted.

China is the "gravest threat" to the future of religious freedom, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, in his latest verbal assault on Beijing during a whirlwind Asian tour.

China is the "gravest threat" to the future of religious freedom, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday, in his latest verbal assault on Beijing during a whirlwind Asian tour. Pompeo has made attacks against China the focus of his trip this week which kicked off in India and included visits to Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Indonesia, and, later Friday, Vietnam. Pompeo said China had brutalised its Uighur minority in Xinjiang province, corralling them in huge detention centres and forcing some to eat pork during the Islamic holy month. In his address to the youth wing of Indonesia's largest Muslim group, he also accused China of separating Uighur children from their parents and imposing sterilisations. China denies mistreating Uighurs and says the camps are vocational training centres that are needed to tackle extremism and promote development. "The gravest threat to the future of religious freedom is the Chinese Communist Party's war against people of all faiths: Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, and Falun Gong practitioners alike," Pompeo said in a speech Thursday to major Muslim organisation the Nahdlatul Ulama. "The atheist Chinese communist party has tried to convince the world that its brutalisation of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang is necessary as counter-terrorism or poverty alleviation," he added. Rights groups say that more than one million Uighurs languish in camps in the northwest Xinjiang region as Beijing attempts to forcibly integrate the community and root out its Islamic heritage. China has denied the numbers and describes the camps as vocational centres that teach skills to prevent the allure of Islamic radicalism following a series of attacks. "But we know that there is no counter-terrorism justification in forcing Uighur Muslims to eat pork during Ramadan, or destroying a Muslim cemetery," Pompeo said. "There is no poverty-alleviation justification for forced sterilisations, or taking children away from their parents to be re-educated in state-run boarding schools." Pompeo rejected what he called Beijing's "fantastic tales of happy Uighurs". "The Chinese Communist Party has tried to convince Indonesians to look away from the torments your fellow Muslims are suffering... Search your hearts. Look at the facts," he said. "Think about what you know of how an authoritarian government treats those who resist its rule." China is Indonesia's biggest trading partner and criticism in the Southeast Asian country of Beijing's treatment of Uighurs has been muted.

Pompeo says China treatment of Uighurs 'gravest threat' to religious freedom

Germany has motivated dozens of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan, urging China to respect the rights of its minority Muslim Uighurs, and expressing their concern about the political situation in Hong Kong. Watch report.

39 nations urge China to respect Uighurs

The United Kingdom government is considering proposals put forth by members of parliament to allow Uighurs and other Muslim minorities to file a petition in the high court against the genocide taking place in the Xinjiang region of China, according to media reports.

Citing media reports in the country, Sputnik reported that the proposals were being led by Conservative lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith, who said that the UK should take tougher action against China.

"The government has still not got it on human rights in China. If an African country was doing what China is doing, ministers would be all over it, but because of China's size and influence at the UN, it runs away. It is time we stood up against the abuses underway within China," Sputnik quoted Smith who told a newspaper.

Pro-Uyghur lawmakers in the UK parliament are proposing that no trade bill regulations that concern Beijing should be enacted if a High Court judge rules that genocide is being committed in China, according to media reports.

Smith said that more than 40 ruling Conservative Party lawmakers in the House of Commons are expected to support the proposal, which should allow it to pass even if the government poses resistance.

The international community has levied accusations against the Chinese authorities of oppression against ethnic Uighurs.

According to Sputnik, the US House of Representatives on September 22 passed legislation to ban imports of products made with "forced labor" in Xinjiang over alleged human rights abuses, amid accusations that Uighurs are being held in so-called re-education camps.

The Chinese government has denied the charges, saying that the camps are to provide vocational and Chinese language training for Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.

The Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking minority from Central Asia, are a distinct ethnic group from Han Chinese, with Urumqi being closer to Kabul than Beijing. In 2009, the most infamous riots broke out in the streets of Urumqi, Xinjiang which pitted Uyghur Muslims against Han Chinese.

The CCP government has turned the entire region into a highly controlled, open-air prison after the Urumqi riots in 2009. The CCP has turned the region into a "brutal totalitarian police state" and everything unique about Uighurs is "systematically targeted".

There have been growing calls for action against the Chinese officials involved in human rights violations in Xinjiang.

The United Kingdom government is considering proposals put forth by members of parliament to allow Uighurs and other Muslim minorities to file a petition in the high court against the genocide taking place in the Xinjiang region of China, according to media reports.

The United Kingdom government is considering proposals put forth by members of parliament to allow Uighurs and other Muslim minorities to file a petition in the high court against the genocide taking place in the Xinjiang region of China, according to media reports. Citing media reports in the country, Sputnik reported that the proposals were being led by Conservative lawmaker Iain Duncan Smith, who said that the UK should take tougher action against China. "The government has still not got it on human rights in China. If an African country was doing what China is doing, ministers would be all over it, but because of China's size and influence at the UN, it runs away. It is time we stood up against the abuses underway within China," Sputnik quoted Smith who told a newspaper. Pro-Uyghur lawmakers in the UK parliament are proposing that no trade bill regulations that concern Beijing should be enacted if a High Court judge rules that genocide is being committed in China, according to media reports. Smith said that more than 40 ruling Conservative Party lawmakers in the House of Commons are expected to support the proposal, which should allow it to pass even if the government poses resistance. The international community has levied accusations against the Chinese authorities of oppression against ethnic Uighurs. According to Sputnik, the US House of Representatives on September 22 passed legislation to ban imports of products made with "forced labor" in Xinjiang over alleged human rights abuses, amid accusations that Uighurs are being held in so-called re-education camps. The Chinese government has denied the charges, saying that the camps are to provide vocational and Chinese language training for Uighurs and other Muslim minorities. The Uighurs, a Turkic-speaking minority from Central Asia, are a distinct ethnic group from Han Chinese, with Urumqi being closer to Kabul than Beijing. In 2009, the most infamous riots broke out in the streets of Urumqi, Xinjiang which pitted Uyghur Muslims against Han Chinese. The CCP government has turned the entire region into a highly controlled, open-air prison after the Urumqi riots in 2009. The CCP has turned the region into a "brutal totalitarian police state" and everything unique about Uighurs is "systematically targeted". There have been growing calls for action against the Chinese officials involved in human rights violations in Xinjiang.

UK government mulls proposal to allow Uighurs to file plea in High Court against genocide in China

China was called out at the UNHRC by the West to restore basic legal rights in Hong Kong and open up to scrutiny its remote Xinjiang region where more than one million ethnic Uighurs are held.

China faces criticism at UNHRC over Hong Kong, Tibet & Xinjiang

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