New Zealand Parliament Says Human Rights Violations Against Uighur Muslims

Illustration of demonstration in support of Uighur Muslims. (Wikimedia Commons / Claudia Himmelreich)

JAKARTA - The New Zealand Parliament unanimously declared that severe human rights violations were taking place against Uighur Muslims in China's Xinjiang region on Wednesday May 5.

All parties discussed and supported the motion to criticize conditions in Xinjiang that was put forward by the ACT Party. However, the words 'genocide' were later revised and dropped from the motion.

The deputy leader of ACT in the New Zealand Parliament Brooke van Velden said he had to insert the sentence "gross violations of human rights", to get approval from the ruling Labor Party, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

"Our conscience demands that if we believe there is genocide, we have to say it," added Van Velden.

China, through its embassy in Wellington, denies all allegations of human rights abuses in the westernmost region, expressing dissatisfaction and opposition to the motion.

"We hope that the New Zealand side can be objective and fair, obey international law and do not interfere in China's domestic affairs so as to maintain the good development of our bilateral relations," said Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Wu Xi.

"Using the issues related to Xinjiang to pressure China is futile and will only destroy the mutual trust between the two sides," he added,

Meanwhile, New Zealand Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta defended the government's decision not to use the term genocide, saying it had raised concerns several times with China, but did not officially designate the situation as genocide.

"This is not due to a lack of attention. Genocide is the most serious international crime and formal legal decisions should only be reached after a rigorous assessment on the basis of international law," he explained.

He added that New Zealand, along with other governments, would fulfill its call for China to provide meaningful and unrestricted access to the United Nations, as well as other independent observers to ascertain the situation in Xinjiang.