Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, completed a visit to China on Saturday, May 28, which began five days earlier, during which she spent two days in Xinjiang. Beijing is accused of keeping more than a million Muslims from this province, mainly Uighurs, in detention, a policy that the United States and other Western countries describe as “genocide”. It was the first visit to China by a high commissioner for human rights in seventeen years.
During the press conference she held (via video) at the end of her visit, Ms.me Bachelet was the one addressed to a Chinese journalist who questioned her about the Uvalde massacre in the United States. In an introductory statement of about ten minutes, the High Commissioner indicated that the purpose of her visit was not to” investigate “ but to discuss human rights with Chinese officials.
She claimed ” have heard “ those who, before his visit, had asked him to discuss particular situations or cases. After mentioning the “tremendous accomplishments” of China in the fight against poverty, then the situation of women – of which it would like a stronger presence “at all levels of political representation” – and the death penalty – which she would like to see abolished – the High Commissioner raised the most delicate subject: Xinjiang.
“It is very important that responses to terrorism do not lead to a violation of human rights”said Ms. Bachelet. With regard to the detention centers that China describes as “vocational education and training centers”she said to herself “unable to assess the scale”. But, she said, “the government assured me that the system was dismantled”.
Le Tibet, Hong Kong…
Mme Bachelet also mentioned Tibet: “It is important that the linguistic, cultural and religious identity of Tibetans be protected and that Tibetans be allowed to participate fully and freely in decisions concerning their religious life. » About Hong Kong, “arrests of lawyers, activists, journalists and others under national security law are deeply disturbing”, she said.
On Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry in turn issued a statement on this visit. This gave “concrete positive results”, said Ma Zhaoxu, vice-minister of foreign affairs. In this press release, he again denounces the ” lies “ of ” certain countries “ concerning Xinjiang and does not mention a possible “dismantling” of the “training centers”.
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