U.K. SLAMS CHINA OVER SANCTIONS

Attempt to silence those vocal about Beijing’s treatment of Uighur Muslims, says British govt

BRITAIN yesterday accused China of attempting to “silence those highlighting human rights abuses” after Beijing sanctioned British lawmakers leading calls for action over its treatment of Uighur Muslims.

“We condemn China’s attempt to silence those highlighting human rights abuses, at home and abroad, including United Kingdom members of parliament and their peers,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab tweeted.

“While the UK joins the international community to sanction human rights abuses, the Chinese government sanctions its critics,” he added.

Britain’s government yesterday gave its full backing to British lawmakers and others sanctioned by China for speaking out in defence of the Uighur Muslim minority.

“The MPs and other British citizens sanctioned by China are performing a vital role shining a light on the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uighur Muslims,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted.

China earlier yesterday announced sanctions against nine UK individuals and four entities, saying they had “maliciously spread lies and disinformation” over Beijing’s treatment of Uighurs.

Raab called on Beijing to give the United Nations access to the region of Xinjiang if they “want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses”.

Those sanctioned include Iain Duncan Smith, former leader of the Conservative party, four groups which have been vocal in driving rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong onto Westminster’s agenda and a law firm which has taken up Uighur rights causes.

Tory MPs Nusrat Ghani, Tim Loughton, Tom Tugendhat and Neil O’Brien and peers Helena Kennedy and David Alton are also on the list announced by China yesterday.

Ghani told BBC radio that she “won’t be intimidated”.

“This is a wake-up call for all democratic countries and lawmakers that we will not be able to conduct our day-to-day business without China sanctioning us for just attempting to expose what’s happening in Xinjiang and the abuse against the Uighurs.

“This has now made me even more determined to speak out about the Uighurs.”

In Hong Kong, Britain told the territory yesterday that it had “no right” to order other countries not to accept a UK travel document for a popular youth working scheme after the city confirmed it had made the request to several other nations.

The row is the latest diplomatic spat centering on the British National (Overseas) passport as China imposes a sweeping crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong.

The BNO passport is a legacy of Hong Kong’s handover to China by colonial Britain in 1997.

Until recently, it allowed Hong Kongers born before 1997 greater travel privileges to the UK but no working or settling rights.

But after Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law on the city last year, Britain began offering a pathway to citizenship for BNO passport holders and their families.

In response, Hong Kong and China said they would no longer recognise the BNO passport as a legitimate travel document.