China in the dock

The long-awaited United Nations report that accuses Beijing of serious human rights violations in its mass detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups in the far-western region of Xinjiang is a powerful indictment of the suppression of ethnic minorities. While it chips away at China’s insistence of being a responsible member on the world stage, the embarrassment caused by the damning findings may not lead to any alteration of policy. China has already upped the ante by calling itself a victim of a smear campaign led by the West, and the likelihood of any concrete change would depend on the appetite of the global community to seek accountability. Given the indifferent response and curious silence over the years of even Muslim nations, including Pakistan, on the targeting of Uyghurs, any credible action on that front, too, looks remote.

The significance of the report — published after repeated delays attributed to China’s pushback tactics and denial of any ground access — lies in the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights officially recognising that horrific crimes are occurring. The recommendation of releasing individuals who have been arbitrarily deprived of their liberty on the pretext of containing terrorism and radicalism would, in all probability, go unheeded. However, the rights groups see the report as a wake-up call for international action. China has summarily dismissed the findings, but can no longer deny the existence of extrajudicial camps.

Any move toward further investigation, as called for in the report, would need approval from UN member states in a body where China holds considerable sway. Throughout the past four years, there has been a deadlock on agreeing to any formal call for a more detailed investigation into the crimes against humanity. This has heightened the importance of the report, the release of which presents a challenge to Beijing. The whole truth may not be out, but the lies have been thoroughly exposed.

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