India abstaining from vote on abuses in China’s Xinjiang based on its standard policy on country-specific resolutions

The central government has asserted that India remains committed to upholding all human rights including in China, though it defended the decision to abstain from voting at UN on rights abuses issue in Xinjiang Uyghur.

China has been facing large-scale criticism over its treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province. It was alleged by different quarters that China has arbitrarily detained close to a million Uyghurs in camps in the name of combating religious extremism.

In its recent report, the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OCHCR) also said that serious human rights violations have been committed in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).

Briefing reporters, MEA spokesman Arindam Bagchi said on Friday that India’s vote (that is, abstention) was in line with its “long held position that country specific resolutions are never helpful”.

He said, “India favours a dialogue to deal with such issues. We have taken note of the OHCHR assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China. The human rights of the people of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region should be respected and guaranteed”.

The remarks by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Arindam Bagchi came a day after India abstained from voting on a resolution at the United Nations High Rights Commission that called for a debate on concerns over the human rights situation in Xinjiang.

The draft resolution was pushed by a group comprising Canada, Denmark, Finland, the UK, the US, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and was co-sponsored by some other countries.

Mr Bagchi asserted: “We hope that the relevant parties will address the situation objectively and properly”.

“These patterns of restrictions are characterized by a discriminatory component, as the underlying acts often directly or indirectly affect Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim communities,” the UN body report said.

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal tweeted to back the government move, stating, “India’s position on HR issues shouldn’t be politicised which they are in UNHRC. India as policy abstains on country-specific resolutions….”.