Uyghur
Canada leads call on China to allow Xinjiang access – statement
More than 40 countries urged China on Tuesday to allow the U.N. human rights chief immediate access to Xinjiang region to look into reports that more than a million people have been unlawfully detained there, some subjected to torture or forced labour. The joint statement on China was read out by Canadian Ambassador Leslie Norton on behalf of countries including Australia, Britain, France, Germany, Japan and the United States to the U.N. Human Rights Council. Beijing denies all allegations of abuse of Uyghurs and describes the camps as vocational training facilities to combat religious extremism. “Credible reports indicate that over a million people have been arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang and that there is widespread surveillance disproportionately targeting Uyghurs and members of other...
China discovers 16 new coronavirus cases in Xinjiang
A China’s western Xinjiang region saw a spike in coronavirus cases in the last one week, with 16 new cases reported by midnight Friday, according to China’s National Health Commission. Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang and home to 3.5 million people, has been on lockdown since Thursday after one patient tested positive midweek and four were found to be asymptomatic, according to Chinese news outlet ‘The Paper’. Since then, a handful of cases have emerged. Transportation, including flights and trains in Urumqi, has also been suspended, the Paper said. China has largely brought the coronavirus pandemic under control, but a small number of infections continue, according to official government figures. There are currently 252 active cases nationwide, according to the NHC. The new cases in Xinjia...
