The United Nations has spoken of possible “crimes against humanity” for which there is “credible evidence”, such as torture and sexual violence against members of the Uyghur Muslim minority, calling on the international community to take “urgent action”. his long-awaited report on the Xinjiang autonomous region, which he published on the night of Wednesday to Thursday.

“The scale of arbitrary and discriminatory detentions of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities (…) may indicate that international crimes have been committed, especially crimes against humanity,” concludes this report, which is about 45 pages long. long, Mrs.

Michelle Bachelet, on her last day as head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, kept her promise to release the document, which was posted after midnight in Geneva.

Although it does not contain any particular revelations about what was already known about the situation in Xinjiang, the report puts the stamp of the UN on the accusations against the Chinese authorities, which have been made for years, despite all the denials from Beijing.

Great efforts were made to publish it, both by those who sought it, in particular the United States and human rights NGOs, and by the Chinese government, which characterizes the text as a “hoax” orchestrated by the West, with Washington at the head.

“Torture” and “sexual abuse”

The UN document calls on the international community to act urgently in the face of “credible” allegations of torture and sexual abuse in Xinjiang.

“Allegations of repeated practices of torture or ill-treatment, especially forced treatment, and allegations of sexual and gender-based violence appear to be credible,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a text.

The report “exposes China’s massive violations of fundamental rights,” said Sophie Richardson, director of China’s Human Rights Watch (HRW).

The UN Human Rights Council “should use this report to launch a comprehensive investigation into the Chinese government’s crimes against humanity,” she said.

Amnesty International also called on the Human Rights Council to “set up an independent international mechanism to investigate” crimes in Xinjiang.

“This report paves the way for serious and tangible action by UN Member States, agencies and companies,” Dolkun Isa, President of the World Uyghur Council, said with satisfaction, adding that “the time has come for accountability.”

China did not hide its anger. The document is based on “disinformation and lies fabricated by anti-Chinese forces” to “discredit” Beijing and promote “interference in China’s internal affairs,” the Chinese ambassador to the UN agency in Geneva said in comments attached to the report.

For her part, Ms Bachelet, who has been accused of being too lenient on Beijing, countered that “engaging in dialogue and trying to understand better does not mean that we are tolerant, turn a blind eye, or turn a blind eye. Even less that we can’t speak honestly.

Accusations of “genocide”

At first glance, the UN text does not contain the word “genocide” – an accusation that the US government blames Beijing, as well as the French National Assembly, as well as the national delegations of Great Britain, the Netherlands and Canada.

Xinjiang and other provinces in China have experienced attacks attributed to Islamist or Uighur separatists in recent decades, especially between 2009 and 2014.

The area has been under strict surveillance for years: cameras everywhere, security systems installed in buildings, armed forces clearly visible, passports restricted.

Western studies, based on translations of government documents, victim testimonies, and statistical findings, accuse Beijing of imprisoning at least a million people, mostly Uyghurs, in “camps,” “forced” sterilization and abortion, and imposing “forced labor” on minorities. .

The UN does not confirm this figure. However, he notes that a “large percentage” of the Uyghur minority and other predominantly Muslim minorities have been imprisoned.

China denies the allegations. He claims that the “camps” were actually “vocational training centers” designed to wean residents from religious extremism and are currently closed.

Speaking before the release of the text, Chinese Ambassador to the UN in New York Zhang Jun said that Beijing had repeatedly objected to its content and that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights should not interfere in the country’s internal affairs.

“We all know (…) that the so-called Xinjiang issue is a completely fabricated political lie aimed at undermining China’s stability and holding back China’s development,” Mr. Zhang told reporters yesterday. “We don’t think it will benefit anyone, it will just undermine cooperation between the UN and a Member State,” he warned.

Michelle Bachelet spent several months in talks with Beijing over her visit to Xinjiang earlier this year. He did not criticize the Chinese authorities during the visit, for which he was criticized by NGOs. He dismissed the criticism, stating that it provides seamless access.

“Honestly, publishing information about her when she leaves detracts from the report,” said Kenneth Roth of HRW. “He does nothing for her, throws her in a trash can and leaves the office,” he added.

Ms Bachelet, 70, took over as High Commissioner in 2018. She did not run for a second term. The former president of Chile plans to return to his homeland and leave politics. UN Secretary General António Guterres has not yet chosen a successor.

Source: RES-IPE