IPAC Letter Calls for UN Xinjiang Visit to Explore Legal Accountability for Alleged Genocide

March 10, 2022
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The IPAC Co-Chairs have sent the below communication to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Ms Michelle Bachelet following the announcement that her office will be visiting the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in May 2022.

Ms Michelle Bachelet

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

Palais Wilson – 52 rue des Pâquis

CH-1201 Geneva (Switzerland)

09 March 2022

Dear High Commissioner Ms Bachelet,

We write regarding the announcement that your office has reached an agreement with the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to visit the country in May this year, including the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

As members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), we have repeatedly called for the PRC government to grant access to independent, legal investigations into the alleged genocide and crimes against humanity taking place in the XUAR. We therefore welcome this visit in the expectation that it will be unfettered and independent, as publicly requested by your office on numerous occasions.

The announced visit of the OHCHR to the region demonstrates the growing international pressure on the PRC government to put a stop to its brutal crackdown on the Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in China. We hope that your visit to the XUAR will further our understanding of these abuses, and open the way to legal accountability for the alleged violations.

We, as parliamentarians from across the world, stand ready to support the investigation through providing information on cases of egregious human rights abuses in the Uyghur Region. Please allow us to extend an invitation for you to meet with the Co-Chairs of our group to share our concerns at a time of your convenience in advance of the visit.

We pledge to use the opportunity presented by this visit to continue to advocate for the Uyghurs and all groups oppressed by the PRC government.

Yours sincerely,

Katarina Ammitzboll, Member of the Danish Folketing

Reinhard Bütikofer, Member of the European Parliament

Samuel Cogolati, Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium

Hon. Irwin Cotler, former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

⁨Uffe Elbaek, Member of the Danish Folketing

Pavel Fischer, Member of the Czech Senate

Joar Forssell, Member of the Swedish Riksdag

André Gattolin, Member of the French Senate

Els Van Hoof MP, Member of the Chamber of Representatives of Belgium

Baroness (Helena) Kennedy QC, Member of the UK House of Lords

Elisabet Lann, Deputy Mayor of Gothenburg

Miriam Lexmann, Member of the European Parliament

Constance Le Grip, Member of the French National Assembly

Fabian Molina, Member of the National Council of Switzerland

Simon O’Connor, Member of the New Zealand Parliament

Senator James Paterson, Member of the Australian Senate

Dovilė Šakalienė, Member of the Lithuanian Parliament

Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, Member of the Dutch House of Representatives

Tom van der Lee MP, Member of the Dutch House of Representatives

Louisa Wall MP, Member of the New Zealand Parliament

CO-CHAIRS OF THE INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ALLIANCE ON CHINA

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