China’s Concentration Camps Bring a ‘Stronger Sense of Happiness’

“Faced with the grave challenge of terrorism and extremism, China has undertaken a series of counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures in Xinjiang, including setting up vocational education and training centers,” Belarus said, using China’s preferred term for the concentration camps. “The past three consecutive years has [sic] seen not a single terrorist attack in Xinjiang and people there enjoy a stronger sense of happiness, fulfillment and security.”

Despite the Chinese regime severely limiting the entry of foreigners or other Chinese people from elsewhere in the country into Xinjiang, the note said the countries “appreciate China’s commitment to openness and transparency,” referencing a staged “media access” tour China organized for the state media of various friendly countries.

The statement concluded by condemning those standing up for human rights and demanding they “refrain from employing unfounded charges against China based on unconfirmed information before they visit Xinjiang,” which they cannot do freely.

The statement followed an attack against human rights defenders in July by a coalition of countries with deep business ties to China for demanding accountability on the Xinjiang camps.

Belarus has a longstanding human rights record that the United Nations defined as “fundamentally poor” in July. It has only ever had one president since achieving independence from the Soviet Union. pro-Russia autocrat Alexander Lukashenko. Among the human rights crimes Lukashenko stands guilty of are the arbitrary arrest and silencing of journalists and dissidents and widespread regulations on speech and assembly.

Belarus is an “important” partner to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), according to Beijing. The BRI is a sprawling infrastructure project nominally meant to expand modern transportation to connect Beijing to Western Europe. In reality, China has used the BRI to hand out predatory loans to developing countries, many of which then embezzle the money and leave the government deeply in debt. China then takes ownership of key properties in those countries, expanding its political reach.

Dictator Xi Jinping last visited Minsk in June to discuss the expansion of BRI projects.

BRI has, in part, silenced Muslim countries that would otherwise have a vested interest in defending Chinese Muslims from human rights atrocities. In addition to Pakistan, which co-signed the Belarussian statement at the U.N., countries like Malaysia and Turkey have also defended the camps. The Uyghurs are an ethnic Turkic people, making that country’s support all the more incongruent with its interests.

Belarus’s statement on Tuesday was a response to one by the ambassador to the United Kingdom representing 23 democracies – including America, Japan, Australia, Albania, and Canada.

“We call on the Chinese government to uphold its national laws and international obligations and commitments to respect human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, in Xinjiang and across China,” the statement read, demanding China allow the U.N. “meaningful access to Xinjiang” without complete control over where inspectors go and what they see.

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