Uyghur silence not the NZ I want

Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia

Mahuta promised she would bring an indigenous lens and values-based approach to New Zealand’s foreign policy.

But the minister is yet to live up to her own expectations, and her Government continues to remain complicit in the severe repression of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority population.

There is no doubt the current situation in Xinjiang, China, amounts to a grave abuse of human rights.

A recent independent report by a group of international human rights and law experts concluded the Chinese Communist Party’s activities in Xinjiang have breached almost every aspect of the United Nations’ Genocide Convention. Stuff Circuit’s documentary

Deleted laid bare the abuse of human rights against Uyghurs and revealed the extent to which New Zealand businesses and our own Government are implicated.

Members of New Zealand’s Uyghur community have bravely spoken out, sharing harrowing stories about the arbitrary detainment of, and their extensive fears for, their loved ones in Xinjiang.

The Government’s response to date has been dismissal – not the values-based approach it said it would take.

Speaking last month, Mahuta highlighted the importance of this values-based approach, saying it was underpinned by an ‘‘international rules-based order, which gives all countries a voice and provides frameworks that promote stability’’.

While her words were encouraging, they have not been backed up with action from her Government.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is absolutely wrong to say, ‘‘I don’t know what could be stronger than raising it face-to-face with the leadership in Beijing’’, considering the growing pressure and condemnation towards China’s treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang from many of our allies.

The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, European Union, and many others have condemned and retaliated against China’s actions in Xinjiang, at both a national and international level.

Mahuta finally broke her silence this week, quietly releasing a short joint statement with her Australian counterpart reiterating concern about the situation in Xinjiang, while failing to address any of the damning findings revealed in Stuff’s Circuit investigation

The minister’s comments are nothing short of a performative stunt. Words are no longer acceptable. It is time for our Government to outline the actions it will take.

I acknowledge that taking a stand against China on human rights will only get more tough, especially when a quarter of our export market depends on China.

But if anything, this showcases the weakness in our current economic foreign policy. We cannot continue to allow exporters to dictate our human rights and foreign policy.

Rizwangul NurMuhammed bravely told her story for Deleted.

She told me her community would like to see the reassuring remarks by the foreign minister translated directly into policy and action.

‘‘New Zealand and the wider global community are watching closely to see what meaningful steps our Government is truly willing to take in order to prevent the repression of our loved ones back home,’’ she said.

Not only should authorities do more to assure the safety of the small New Zealand Uyghur community, but we must also urgently support recent calls to allocate spots in our refugee quota programme to Uyghurs fleeing persecution.

It’s now up to the New Zealand public to amplify the voices of our Uyghur community. Turning a blind eye is no longer an option.

This is about our legacy and the world we want to leave our tamariki and mokopuna. How will New Zealand history look back at our silence and complicity?

My hope is that the next generation will look back with pride at how our country responded to a genocide unfolding in front of our eyes – with kindness, compassion, and a strong pursuit of human rights for all.

There have been situations in our history when we as a nation have had to speak up and uphold the values we believe in.

When the Rainbow Warrior was bombed, we took a strong stance against nuclear activities in the Pacific. In the weeks and months following the Christchurch terror attacks, the public stood behind our efforts to pursue a more humane and just refugee policy. I am asking that we extend this same advocacy in light of the plight faced by Uyghurs.

What I saw in the aftermath of March 15 was a powerful insight to the New Zealand we can collectively build: a nation with a shared global responsibility and a persistent sense of standing up for justice and fairness.

It is an image we often believe ourselves to be, but on many occasions fail to meet. Nothing will change unless New Zealanders speak out, and demand our Government uphold the values we say we believe in.

Rizwangul NurMuhammed, above, bravely told her story for Stuff Circuit’s Deleted investigation.