UN human rights chief ends China visit, says it was not 'investigation'

By Peter Kenny

GENEVA (AA) - The UN human rights chief ended a six-day visit to China on Saturday, defending her trip "as an opportunity to hold direct discussions" with senior Chinese officials, saying it was not "an investigation."

Michelle Bachelet held a virtual press conference from Beijing due to China's strict COVID-19 restrictions at the end of her May 23-28 trip, which was years in the making after years of international controversy about the treatment of Uyghurs.

"This visit was not an investigation – official visits by a high commissioner are by their nature high-profile and simply not conducive to the kind of detailed, methodical, discreet work of an investigative nature," she said after the visit was criticized by human rights NGOs.

"The visit was an opportunity to hold direct discussions – with China's most senior leaders – on human rights, to listen to each other, raise concerns, explore and pave the way for more regular, meaningful interactions in the future."

- Visit to Urumqi and Kashgar

The human rights chief visited the Xinjiang cities of Urumqi and Kashgar, seeing a prison and a former re-education camp.

She held discussions with senior Chinese officials and had a virtual meeting with President Xi Jinping.

"In the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, I have raised questions and concerns about the application of counterterrorism and de-radicalization measures and their broad application – particularly their impact on the rights of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities," said Bachelet.

Regarding places which China calls "vocational training centers," the UN rights chief said she raised with the Beijing government the lack of independent judicial oversight of the program's operation and the reliance by law enforcement officials on limited indicators to determine tendencies towards violent extremism.

"Before coming to China, I heard from some Uyghur families, now living abroad, who have lost contact with their loved ones. In my discussions with the authorities, I appealed to them to take measures to provide information to families as a matter of priority," she said.

Bachelet also said she shared the concerns of several UN human rights mechanisms about laws and policies to counter terrorism and radicalism and their application as China says it is fighting terrorism in Xinjiang.

- Impact of extremism

"Violent acts of extremism have a terrible, serious impact on the lives of victims, including those tasked to protect the community. But counter-terrorism responses mustn't result in human rights violations," said Bachelet.

According to the UN data, at least 1 million Uyghurs are kept against their will in the Beijing-dubbed "vocational training centers," which the international community has defined as "re-education camps."

Several countries have accused China of ethnic cleansing of Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Beijing has denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the allegations as "lies and (a) political virus."

On Hong Kong, Bachelet said the autonomous region had long been respected as a center for human rights and independent media in the region.

"The arrests of lawyers, activists, journalists, and others under the National Security Law are deeply worrying," she said.

In July, Hong Kong is due to be reviewed by the UN Human Rights Committee as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

After Bachelet's visit, Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement: "The High Commissioner's visit has been characterized by photo opportunities with senior government officials and manipulation of her statements by Chinese state media, leaving an impression that she has walked straight into a highly predictable propaganda exercise for the Chinese government."

Human Rights Watch's executive director issued a tweet on meetings with Chinese officials, saying, "Such quiet backroom conversation is just what Beijing wants – no public reporting, no pressure to end its intense repression of Uyghurs and others."