UYGHUR, TIBETAN, HONG KONG, CHINESE AND INTERNATIONAL NGOS TABLE DEMANDS AHEAD OF UN HIGH COMMISSIONER’S VISIT TO CHINA
Press Release – For Immediate Release
19 April 2022
Contact: World Uyghur Congress www.uyghurcongress.org
0049 (0) 89 5432 1999 or [email protected]
The World Uyghur Congress joins Tibet, Hong Kong, Chinese and international NGOs to table a set of demands to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet ahead of her visit to China.
In her update to the UN Human Rights Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights announced on 8 March that she has secured a visit to China in May. This announcement comes after she requested unfettered access to China on multiple occasions, without any success. Her public approach to the grave human rights violations occurring in China, including genocide and atrocity crimes in East Turkistan, was considered inadequate by civil society organisations.
”Before she visits China, the UN High Commissioner has a responsibility to meet with Uyghur groups, and survivors to hear directly from us,” stated WUC President, Dolkun Isa. ”Engagement with the affected communities must be a priority for her and her office.”
Given the lack of transparency around the upcoming visit, 60 international groups, including Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Kong, Chinese and international NGOs published a joint statement laying out core preconditions to be met by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet in order to have a credible and independent visit to China.