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Skybird · 10-06-22, 11:09 AM

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes:
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A defeat for the West: In the UN Human Rights Council, Beijing's friends prevent a debate on the Xinjiang report. Even Kiev is behaving differently than the West expected.

It was clear from the start that this vote would be symbolic. It would show how great China's influence is in the bodies of the United Nations. On Thursday afternoon it was clear: Beijing has enough power to prevent even a debate on the human rights violations in Xinjiang. The United States and nine other countries had deliberately introduced a conspicuously neutral draft resolution. It simply said that the Human Rights Council "notes with interest" the report by former High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the human rights situation in Xinjiang and decides to hold a debate on it at its next Council session in February.

Seventeen countries voted in favour, 19 countries against. Eleven countries abstained. It would have been enough to get more votes in favour than against. When the result was announced, the representatives of China and its supporters clapped. The chair of the meeting called them to order in the name of the "dignity" of the Council.

Fearing such a symbolic defeat, Western countries had always avoided putting a draft resolution on China to a vote until now. Instead, they had issued joint statements that countries could join by signature. However, after the publication of the Bachelet report at the end of August, some countries felt the need to seize the momentum and risk defeat. Bachelet had published the report at the end of August just minutes before she left office. It said "serious human rights violations" were being committed in Xinjiang that "could constitute crimes against humanity".

The United States introduced the draft resolution together with Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries, Australia, Lithuania, Canada, Iceland and Denmark. Germany had not joined the group, probably because it wanted to focus more on a resolution to appoint a special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia, which will be voted on this Friday. Presumably, there was also the concern that fewer countries might be willing to vote against China and Russia at the same time or abstain.

China had pulled out all the stops in advance. Whole groups of diplomats had pressed the representatives of undecided countries in Geneva. Some countries reported numerous calls to their capitals. Concerns that China might cut back on promised investments in the countries might have played a role in their voting behaviour. A spokesperson for the Xinjiang government had earlier threatened "countermeasures" in Geneva. "We are ready for the fight," he had said.

Until late Wednesday evening, supporters of the draft resolution had been canvassing for approval. Until the very end, it was open how the vote would turn out. Ukraine, which the Western countries had presumably hoped would vote in favour, abstained. Beijing, for its part, is likely to be particularly miffed by Japan's repeated expression of "deep concern about the human rights situation in Xinjiang" during the session. In addition to China's usual supporters such as Pakistan, Venezuela, Eritrea and Cuba, Indonesia also voted against the resolution. Jakarta explained that it did not turn a blind eye to human rights violations against Muslims, but did not expect any progress for the situation of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang from the initiative.

Hopes for the appointment of a special rapporteur on Xinjiang are thus likely to be off the table for the time being. The new High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Austrian Volker Türk, could decide in his own right to present the Bachelet report at the next session of the Human Rights Council next year.

In its reactions to the report, which China called "perverse" among other things, it has not yet attempted to refute individual contents. This could be due to the fact that the report is largely based on documents from the Chinese government. This was also pointed out by the American Ambassador for Human Rights in Geneva, Michèle Taylor. China's supporters, meanwhile, made the same arguments as Beijing itself, sometimes verbatim.
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10-06-22, 11:09 AM	#348
Skybird Soaring Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: the mental asylum named Germany Posts: 42,778 Downloads: 10 Uploads: 0	The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung writes: ----------------------------------------- A defeat for the West: In the UN Human Rights Council, Beijing's friends prevent a debate on the Xinjiang report. Even Kiev is behaving differently than the West expected. It was clear from the start that this vote would be symbolic. It would show how great China's influence is in the bodies of the United Nations. On Thursday afternoon it was clear: Beijing has enough power to prevent even a debate on the human rights violations in Xinjiang. The United States and nine other countries had deliberately introduced a conspicuously neutral draft resolution. It simply said that the Human Rights Council "notes with interest" the report by former High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on the human rights situation in Xinjiang and decides to hold a debate on it at its next Council session in February. Seventeen countries voted in favour, 19 countries against. Eleven countries abstained. It would have been enough to get more votes in favour than against. When the result was announced, the representatives of China and its supporters clapped. The chair of the meeting called them to order in the name of the "dignity" of the Council. Fearing such a symbolic defeat, Western countries had always avoided putting a draft resolution on China to a vote until now. Instead, they had issued joint statements that countries could join by signature. However, after the publication of the Bachelet report at the end of August, some countries felt the need to seize the momentum and risk defeat. Bachelet had published the report at the end of August just minutes before she left office. It said "serious human rights violations" were being committed in Xinjiang that "could constitute crimes against humanity". The United States introduced the draft resolution together with Great Britain, the Scandinavian countries, Australia, Lithuania, Canada, Iceland and Denmark. Germany had not joined the group, probably because it wanted to focus more on a resolution to appoint a special rapporteur on the human rights situation in Russia, which will be voted on this Friday. Presumably, there was also the concern that fewer countries might be willing to vote against China and Russia at the same time or abstain. China had pulled out all the stops in advance. Whole groups of diplomats had pressed the representatives of undecided countries in Geneva. Some countries reported numerous calls to their capitals. Concerns that China might cut back on promised investments in the countries might have played a role in their voting behaviour. A spokesperson for the Xinjiang government had earlier threatened "countermeasures" in Geneva. "We are ready for the fight," he had said. Until late Wednesday evening, supporters of the draft resolution had been canvassing for approval. Until the very end, it was open how the vote would turn out. Ukraine, which the Western countries had presumably hoped would vote in favour, abstained. Beijing, for its part, is likely to be particularly miffed by Japan's repeated expression of "deep concern about the human rights situation in Xinjiang" during the session. In addition to China's usual supporters such as Pakistan, Venezuela, Eritrea and Cuba, Indonesia also voted against the resolution. Jakarta explained that it did not turn a blind eye to human rights violations against Muslims, but did not expect any progress for the situation of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang from the initiative. Hopes for the appointment of a special rapporteur on Xinjiang are thus likely to be off the table for the time being. The new High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Austrian Volker Türk, could decide in his own right to present the Bachelet report at the next session of the Human Rights Council next year. In its reactions to the report, which China called "perverse" among other things, it has not yet attempted to refute individual contents. This could be due to the fact that the report is largely based on documents from the Chinese government. This was also pointed out by the American Ambassador for Human Rights in Geneva, Michèle Taylor. China's supporters, meanwhile, made the same arguments as Beijing itself, sometimes verbatim. ---------------------------------------------------- __________________ If you feel nuts, consult an expert.