GENEVA –
China is asking the United Nations human rights chief to bury a long-awaited report on human rights violations in Xinjiang, according to a Chinese letter seen by Reuters and confirmed by diplomats from three countries who received it.
United Nations High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet faced severe criticism from civil society for being too soft on China during a visit in May and has since said she will refrain from seeking a second term for personal reasons.
But before leaving at the end of August, he promised to publish a report on China’s western Xinjiang region. Human rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against Xinjiang’s Uyghurs, including the massive use of forced labor in internment camps. China has strongly denied the allegations.
The letter written by China expressed “serious concern” about the Xinjiang report and is aimed at stopping its publication, four sources said: the three diplomats and a rights expert who spoke on condition of anonymity. They said that China began circulating it among diplomatic missions in Geneva in late June and asked countries to sign it to show their support.
“The assessment (on Xinjiang), if published, will intensify politicization and bloc confrontation in the area of human rights, undermine the credibility of the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights), and damage cooperation between the OHCHR and member states,” the letter said, referring to Bachelet’s office.
“We strongly urge the High Commissioner not to publish such an assessment.”
Liu Yuyin, a spokesman for China’s diplomatic mission in Geneva, did not say whether the letter had been sent or respond to questions about its contents.
Liu said that nearly 100 countries recently expressed their support for China on Xinjiang-related issues “and their objection to interference in China’s internal affairs under the guise of human rights.”
This support was expressed through public statements at the latest session of the UN Human Rights Council, which ended on July 8, and through the “joint letter,” Liu added, using a term denoting China and the other signatories.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman told Reuters that Bachelet would have witnessed a “real Xinjiang with a secure and stable society” when she visited the region during her May trip to China.
The spokesman said attempts by some countries to “blur China’s image” using the Xinjiang issue would not succeed.
It was unclear whether Bachelet had received the letter and a OHCHR spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.
The Xinjiang report is being finalized ahead of publication, he added, saying this includes the standard practice of sharing a copy with China for comment.
The report is meant to address China’s treatment of its Uyghur minority. A team of rights experts began collecting evidence more than three years ago, but its release was delayed for months for unclear reasons.
Reuters was unable to establish how many signatures the letter received. One of the four sources, a diplomat based in Geneva, responded to the letter affirming the country’s support for him.
Another version of the letter also seen by Reuters was more critical of Bachelet’s actions, saying the Xinjiang report was made “without a mandate and in serious breach of OHCHR duties” and would undermine her personal credibility.
It was not clear who edited it or why. The diplomat who signed the letter said that the milder version was the final one.
DIRECT LOBBYING
China, like other countries, sometimes seeks support for its policy statements within the Geneva-based rights council through diplomatic memos that others are asked to support.
These can sometimes influence the decisions of the 47-member Council, whose actions are not legally binding but can authorize investigations into alleged violations.
Two of the Geneva diplomats said China’s letter represents a rare example of evidence that Beijing is seeking direct pressure on Bachelet. Sometimes, they say, countries find it hard to say no to China on human rights issues, given the close economic ties.
The memorandum comes at a critical time for the UN human rights body in the final weeks of Bachelet’s term, with no successor yet nominated. Bachelet, 70, will leave office on August 31.
Additional Reporting by Yew Lun Tian in Beijing Written by Emma Farge Edited by Mark Heinrich