New York:

In a joint statement, 51 countries voiced concerns to the United Nations over the Chinese human rights violations of Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region. It comes in response to China's election to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2024-2026 term.

Several human rights organizations have criticized China for unjust imprisonment, increased arrests, and protracted prison terms in the Xinjiang area for years. Former inmates and those familiar with the conditions at detention facilities have detailed instances of rape and other sexual violence, along with horrific torture and inhumane treatment. Meanwhile, China has consistently refuted the allegations. More than a million Uyghurs are reportedly housed in these camps.

The 51 countries include the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Japan. UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations James Kariuki delivered the statement. It said, "Members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim minorities in Xinjiang continue to suffer serious violations of their human rights by the authorities of the People's Republic of China."

The statement further called for China to respond to a 2022 report issued by the UN Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR), which stated that China's violence "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity."

The report concluded that the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has witnessed grave human rights breaches despite the Chinese government's claims to fight extremism and terrorism. It further noted instances of forced labor, family separations, forced disappearances, torture and ill-treatment of detainees, restrictions on cultural and religious practices, forced abortion and sterilization of Muslim women, and invasive surveillance based on religion and ethnicity.

In the statement, China was also asked to end human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang and to cooperate constructively with the OHCHR so that the Chinese government may carry out its recommendations following the report's release.