51 Countries Take Stand Against China In UN, Here Is Why
You know how China has been under the scanner for its treatment of Uighurs, right? Well, 51 countries just teamed up to take a stand against it. This happened at the United Nations General Assembly’s Third Committee. They focus on human rights issues.
So, what’s China being accused of? The Chinese government is said to be treating the Uighur population and some other Muslim communities really poorly.
China is accused of forced labor and cultural changes to make them more ‘Chinese.’ They’re even being monitored all the time. Families are being torn apart, and people are going missing. Even worse, there are reports of torture—both mental and physical.
The Uighurs call their homeland “East Turkestan,” not Xinjiang, which is what China calls it. Activists are saying enough is enough. They want countries to do more than just talk. They want action.
Now, about last year’s UN report. It raised red flags about what’s going on in Xinjiang. The report said over 1 million people from ethnic minorities, mainly Uighurs, were forcibly sent to places China calls ‘vocational training centers.’ But many say these are more like detention centers.
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A few years ago, there were reports that several madrasas and mosques in China had been converted into public toilets. Muslims also receive no special facilities, unlike the special treatment they receive in India.
In China, these communities are not allowed to operate madrasas, use loudspeakers for the call to prayer (Azaan), or offer prayers (Namaz) in public places.
However, China defends its actions toward these communities, claiming they have a poor track record related to criminal activities, terrorism, and forced religious conversions.
Here’s a quick list of countries that signed the joint statement against China: Most of the European Union, some other European countries like the UK and Switzerland, North American countries like the U.S. and Canada, and even a few countries from Oceania and Asia like Australia and Japan.
This is a pretty big deal, especially when so many countries are standing against China. Let’s see where it goes from here.