This article was originally published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and is reprinted with permission.
The United States has repeated genocide allegations against China over its treatment of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and members of Xinjiang’s other indigenous, mostly Muslim, ethnic groups.
The message came alongside additional sanctions warnings against Burma, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and South Sudan over ethnic cleansing in their respective conflicts.
All were contained in materials sent by the Biden administration as part of the State Department’s annual report to Congress on the prevention of genocides and atrocities.
“This administration will defend and protect human rights around the world, and recognizes the prevention of atrocities is a core national security interest and a core moral responsibility,” the Biden administration’s materials said.
China has been under international criticism and hit with sanctions for detaining more than 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities for political reeducation in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.
China insists such camps are “vocational education centers” aimed at helping people steer clear of terrorism.
The State Department report says Chinese officials’ abuse includes imprisonment, torture, enforced sterilization, and other persecution.
The previous administration of President Donald Trump first accused Chinese authorities of perpetrating a genocide against the Uyghurs and other groups.
President Joe Biden’s White House has followed suit and joined the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Canada in slapping sanctions on Beijing.
The report quoted on July 12 noted that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has repeatedly reaffirmed the accusation that “the People’s Republic of China is committing genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs, who are predominantly Muslim, and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang.”
Last week, the European Parliament overwhelmingly passed a resolution calling on officials from EU member states to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics due to China’s human rights abuses.
