Responding to the news that Erkin Tuniyaz, Governor of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), China, will meet with representatives of the British government, the European Union (EU) and EU Member States over the course of the visit that will take place in the coming days, Alkan Akad, Amnesty International researcher on China, has stated:
“As Governor of Xinjiang, Erkin Tuniyaz must be closely familiar with and play a leading role in the Chinese government’s massive and systematic abuses against the Uyghur, Kazakh and other Muslim communities residing in the region.. These include torture, persecution and mass incarceration, which – according to the conclusions of the UN, Amnesty International and others – could constitute crimes against humanity.”
“The Beijing authorities, which have repeatedly tried to conceal or cover up the serious crimes under international law and other human rights violations that they continually commit in Xinjiang, will undoubtedly use Erkin Tuniyaz’s visit to Europe, where he —according to the information received— he will meet with representatives of the UK government, the EU and EU Member States.”
“It is necessary to ask what is the purpose of this visit. If the authorities decide to meet with Erkin Tuniyaz, they cannot afford to be complicit in this blatant Chinese propaganda stunt.”
“They must be forthright and publicly hold the Chinese authorities to account for crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. For any State invited to receive Erkin Tuniyaz, dismantling the cruel system of discrimination and persecution of ethnic minorities must be the main concern.”
“The authorities must request information on the well-being and whereabouts of the many people who have been detained or who have disappeared without a trace and demand the release of all those subjected to arbitrary detention.”
“To begin with, judicial authorities in European states must launch their own investigations to determine whether Erkin Tuniyaz is responsible for crimes under international law, including torture, or other serious human rights violations that may justify his prosecution.”
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