China: The Door To Xinjiang Is Wide Open, But The UN Should Not Be Prejudiced

Rallies in support of Uighurs. (Wikimedia Commons / Claudia Himmelreich)

JAKARTA - China for the umpteenth time has emphasized that the door to humanitarian visits to Xinjiang is always wide open.

However, at the same time, China firmly asked the United Nations through the Human Rights Commission not to have prejudice beforehand.

China said on Tuesday that it was discussing a visit to the Xinjiang region by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet. However, Bachelet was asked not to leave with the aim of condemning China's policies.

Last week Bachelet said reports on the arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, sexual violence and forced labor in Xinjiang regarding the Uighur minority required a thorough and independent assessment of the situation.

"We also feel deeply sorry that the High Commissioner is making baseless accusations against China, based on misinformation and political pressure," Jiang Duan's Chinese delegate told the UN Human Rights Council.

"People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and the Tibetan region enjoy wide freedoms, including religious and cultural harmony," he continued.

Jiang emphasized that China is against the 'politicization' of human rights, as well as rejecting concerns raised by Australia, Sweden and the United States at the Geneva Forum.

“The door to Xinjiang is always open, and we welcome the High Commissioner to visit Xinjiang. Communication was maintained between the two sides, but the purpose of the visit was to provide exchange and cooperation, rather than a so-called investigation based on 'guilt before being proven', "he stressed.

Bachelet said on Friday that he hopes to reach an agreement with Chinese officials on a visit to the country. Louise Arbor was the last UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit China, in September 2005.

Previously reported, China has denied allegations of genocide that occurred in Xinjiang, including the treatment of Uighur Muslims directed by European powers and Turkey against China. As well as requests for access to visit Xinjiang.

This denial was conveyed by China at the UN Human Rights Council meeting on Monday, February 22 in Geneva, Switzerland. UN rights activists and experts say at least 1 million Muslims are detained in camps in Xinjiang.

However, China says the camps are needed to counter extremism by providing vocational training.

"There are 24,000 mosques in Xinjiang, where people from all ethnic groups also enjoy labor rights," he said.

"These basic facts show that there has never been such a thing as genocide, forced labor, or religious persecution in Xinjiang. Such incitemental accusations are made out of ignorance and prejudice, it is just malicious and politically driven hype and could not be further from the truth," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the UN Human Rights Council