United States: Chinese sanctions on Uyghur sentencing situation “unfounded” | NOW

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned on Saturday that Chinese sanctions against two Americans who condemned Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs are “baseless.” According to him, this only further puts the “genocide” in Xinjiang in the spotlight.

China has announced sanctions against two members of the US Commission for International Religious Freedom, a Canadian and a human rights organization. The country did this in response to sanctions imposed by the two North American countries this week over Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghur minority.

Beijing’s attempts to intimidate and silence those who defend human rights and fundamental freedoms only add to the growing international criticism of the ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, said Blinken in a statement.

At least one million Uyghurs and people from other populations, mostly Muslims, are being held in camps in China’s Xinjiang region, according to human rights organizations. The organizations accuse the authorities of forcibly sterilizing women and using forced labor.

The European Union, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States have imposed sanctions on senior political and economic officials in Xinjiang. Beijing came next with punishments against individuals from the EU and the UK.

“We stand in solidarity with Canada, the UK, the EU and other partners and allies around the world and call on China to end human rights and violations against Muslim-majority Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and ethnic minority groups. . And release those arbitrarily detained, ”Blinken said.