Trump signs Bill to punish China on Uyghur crackdown

Washington, June 18

US President Donald Trump has signed into law a legislation that condemns the gross human rights violations of Uyghur minority groups in China’s restive Muslim-majority Xinjiang region, paving the way for imposing sanctions against senior Chinese officials.

The Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act, 2020, holds accountable the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses such as the systematic use of indoctrination camps, forced labour and intrusive surveillance to eradicate the ethnic identity and religious beliefs of Uyghurs and other minorities in China, Trump said. However, a section of the Act purports to limit his discretion to terminate inadmissibility sanctions under the Act, he said on Wednesday.

“In some circumstances, this limitation could be inconsistent with my constitutional authorities…,” Trump said.

Reacting to the development, the Chinese foreign ministry in Beijing slammed the law, saying it “maliciously attacks” China’s policy in the Xinjiang region.China will “resolutely hit back and the US will bear the burden of all subsequent consequences,” it said in a statement after Trump signed the Act into law.

The Bill, which includes sanctions on the senior

Chinese officials directly involved in the crackdown on the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, was passed with an overwhelming support from Republicans and Democrats in Congress.

Senator Marco Rubio applauded the Act and said that it is an important step in countering the totalitarian Chinese government’s widespread and horrific human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), including the mass internment of over one million Uyghurs and other predominantly ethnic Turkic Muslims, as well as Beijing’s intimidation and threats against US citizens and legal permanent residents on American soil.

By signing the Act into law, President Trump took a historic step in the support of Uyghur Muslims worldwide and against China’s egregious human rights abuses and probable crimes against humanity, he said. — PTI

China passes draft of HK security law

• Hong Kong: China’s ceremonial legislature on Thursday passed a draft of a national security Bill for Hong Kong that has been strongly criticised as undermining faith in the semi-autonomous Chinese region’s legal and political institutions.
• The National People’s Congress’ Standing Committee reviewed the Bill that covers four categories of crimes: succession; subversion of state power; local terrorist activities, and collaborating with forces to endanger national security. AP