The persecution of the Uyghurs is a crime against humanity
EconomistOct 15, 2020
On Monday, 50 UN member states signed a statement condemning China's alleged crimes against humanity in its Xinjiang region and demanding "urgent action" from the UN against reported human rights violations against ethnic Uyghurs.
This joint statement on behalf of mainly Western countries comes after the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released an independent assessment claiming that the detention of Uyghurs "may constitute international crimes, particularly crimes against humanity."
There's little doubt that Beijing has been conducting crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. With its disregard for individual rights, the PRC has overseen one of modern times' worst rights violations outside a war zone while justifying its actions by emphasizing economic growth. The international community, particularly the West, has a moral obligation to defend human rights, even if it means confronting Beijing.
Western claims about human rights violations in Xinjiang are fabrications designed to misinform public opinion and exploit this issue to destabilize China. Beijing is merely taking action to fight extremism and terrorism in accordance with the law, and those criticizing China while turning a blind eye to their own violations are just revealing their hypocrisy.
There's a 20% chance that the UN will open an investigation or otherwise intervene on the issue of the Xinjiang internment camps before 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.