International Response
The international response to the UYghur Crisis has been mixed
International Response
Internationally, many nations have condemned China’s actions against the Uyghur community but have not formally denounced the crisis as a genocide. In January 2021, the United States became the first country to formally declare China’s actions against the Uyghur as genocide. Canada and the Netherlands’ parliaments followed suit with non-binding motions.
Mar 22, 2021
US, Canada, UK, and EU sanctions
“We, the Foreign Ministers of Canada and the United Kingdom, and the United States Secretary of State, are united in our deep and ongoing concern regarding China’s human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang.”
“Today, we have taken coordinated action on measures, in parallel to measures by the European Union, that send a clear message about the human rights violations and abuses in Xinjiang.”
Jan 12, 2021
Canada, the UK and other International Partners announce measures to address human rights abuses in Xinjiang, China
In coordination with the United Kingdom and other international partners, Canada is adopting a comprehensive approach to defending the rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities, including by advancing measures to address the risk of goods produced from forced labour from any country from entering Canadian and global supply chains and to protect Canadian businesses from becoming unknowingly complicit.
Dec 17, 2020
Forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region
European Parliament resolution of 17 December 2020 on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (2020/2913(RSP))
Jan 17, 2020
S.3744 – Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020
This American bill imposes sanctions on foreign individuals and entities responsible for human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous region and requires various reports on the topic.
Statements & Signatories
In October 2020, a more general statement was issued by 39 countries against China’s human rights abuses.
The signatories included: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Haiti, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Monaco, Nauru, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Palau, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States.
“We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the recent developments in Hong Kong. We call on China to respect human rights.
On October 29, 2019, approximately 2 dozen countries voiced their opinion against China and for the Uyghur community. The statement reinforced the conclusions of the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in their August 2018 Concluding Observations on China regarding credible reports of mass detention; efforts to restrict cultural and religious practices; mass surveillance disproportionately targeting ethnic Uyghurs; and other human rights violations and abuses in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
The signatories included: Albania, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, United States of America, and United Kingdom.
We call on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in Xinjiang and across China.
Split Coalitions
‘Calling Out China’
July 8, 2019
22 nations urged China to end its mass arbitrary detentions and related violations against Muslims in the Xinjiang region at the United Nations’ top human rights body.
In the statement, the countries “call also on China to refrain from the arbitrary detention and restrictions on freedom of movement of Uyghurs, and other Muslim and minority communities in Xinjiang.”
The signatories included: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.
‘Complimenting China’
July 12, 2019
Notably silent are many Muslim nations. Prioritizing their economic ties and strategic relationships with China, many governments have ignored the human rights abuses.
Including more than three dozen states, they signed their own letter praising China’s “remarkable achievements” in human rights and its “counterterrorism” efforts in Xinjiang.
The signatories included: Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Belarus, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Gabon, Kuwait, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tajikistan, Togo, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.