UN: 39 countries call on China to respect Uyghur rights

Thirty-nine countries, taken to the UN by Germany, on Tuesday called on China in a joint statement to "

" of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, while also expressing concern about the development of the situation in Hong Kong.

"

" German Ambassador to the UN Christoph Heusgen told a meeting of the third commission of the United Nations General Assembly specializing in human rights.

Read the report: China facing the world

Signatories include the United States, most European countries including Albania and Bosnia, Canada, Haiti, Honduras, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

“

” their statement added.

"

" the text said.

Immediately after its intervention, Pakistan read a statement signed by 55 countries, including China, denouncing the use of the situation in Hong Kong to interfere in Chinese internal affairs.

Quoting Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun criticized for his part a "

"

attitude

, asking these countries to "

".

Read also: Paris calls on companies to be vigilant about respecting the rights of Uyghurs

In a statement, Human Rights Watch welcomed the fact that more countries have signed the declaration against China this year "

" from China.

In 2019, a similar text on the human rights situation in the same forum, drafted at the initiative of the United Kingdom, had collected 23 signatures.

According to Western diplomats, Beijing is increasing pressure every year to dissuade UN members from signing, threatening not to renew a peace mission in one country or to prevent the construction of a new embassy in China for another. .

On Monday, 26 countries, at the initiative of Beijing, had still demanded in the same forum and in a joint declaration the end of American sanctions and other Western countries which violate, according to them, human rights in the fight against the pandemic .