China responds to motion on Uighurs

WELLINGTON: China has lashed out after Parliament declared ‘‘severe human rights abuses’’ are occurring against Uighur minority, saying it will ‘‘harm the mutual trust’’ between the countries.

Parliament unanimously supported a motion on Wednesday to declare it was ‘‘gravely concerned about the severe human rights abuses taking place against Uighurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region’’.

MPs called on the Government to work with the United

Nations, international partners, and to ‘‘work with all relevant instruments of international law to bring these abuses to an end’’.

Originally, the motion included the term ‘‘genocide’’, put forth by Act New Zealand deputy leader Brooke van Velden, but this was removed after pressure from Labour.

The declaration follows independent reports over the past few years that have found about 1 million Uighur Muslims confined to concentration camps, subject to torture and forced sterilisation.

There have also been reports of authorities seeking to eradicate their religion and culture.

The Chinese Embassy in Wellington said yesterday the declaration had ‘‘total disregard’’ for China’s position and was a ‘‘groundless accusation on China over human rights abuses’’.

‘‘This move grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and runs counter to international law and basic norms governing international relations.

‘‘The Chinese side deplores and firmly opposes such action.’’

The statement mirrored similar comments China had made in response to other countries raising concerns about the treatment of Uighurs.

The United States declared genocide was occurring, and parliaments in the Netherlands, Canada and the United Kingdom had also voted to pass similar motions condemning the abuse as ‘‘genocide’’.

The embassy spokesman said Xinjiangrelated issues were about ‘‘countering violent terrorism, radicalisation and separatism’’ through ‘‘deradicalisation through education and vocational training’’.

These were ‘‘purely China’s domestic affairs where there’s no place for foreign interfere’’.

Pressuring China over this would ‘‘go nowhere but to harm the mutual trust between China and NZ’’.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said China’s response was ‘‘not unexpected’’.

Speaking in the House yesterday, Ms van Velden questioned Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta over communications the Government had with China over the declaration.

Finance Minister Grant Robertson, speaking on behalf of Ms Mahuta, who was absent, said it should be ‘‘no surprise’’ China had engaged with New Zealand since the declaration.

Mr Robertson said New Zealand would continue to raise concerns about ‘‘grave reports of severe human rights abuses’’ and call for ‘‘unfettered access’’ by United Nations investigators.

He said there had been no engagement with Chinese authorities around using the term ‘‘genocide’’.

Questioned around the original wording of the motion and Labour’s request to have ‘‘genocide’’ removed, Mr Robertson said their concern was around the concept as defined under international law.

‘‘It requires significant investigation, which New Zealand rarely uses, so the discussion around it related specifically to that.’’ — The New Zealand Herald