Almost unanimous recognition.
The National Assembly voted on Thursday a resolution which
"officially recognizes the violence perpetrated by the authorities of the People's Republic of China against the Uighurs as constituting crimes against humanity and genocide"
, publicly condemning the ongoing repression in China vis-à-vis this Muslim minority, mainly located in Xinjiang province.
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Yves Thréard presents Le Club Le Figaro Presidentielle, our new political program
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This text, led by the PS group as part of its parliamentary niche, has no binding scope but is of symbolic importance, two weeks before the opening of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.
"Misnaming things is adding to the misfortune of the world"
, solemnly launched the socialist Olivier Faure, considering that it was a
"duty to qualify the martyrdom that the Uighur minority in China is suffering today" ,
and that it was up to MPs to
'break the silence'
.
MP LFI Clémentine Autain believes that the term "crime against humanity" would be more appropriate for the situation of the Uighurs
With the support of the deputies of the presidential majority, the National Assembly largely adopted this text, by 169 votes for, one vote against and five abstentions.
France joins Canada, the United States and Ireland in recognizing this genocide.
But the devil is in the details.
While Olivier Faure called for a unanimous vote, the Insoumis parliamentary group abstained entirely.
The four elected LFI present in the Hemicycle refused to recognize that it was a
"genocide"
.
MP Clémentine Autain believes that the term
"crime against humanity"
would be more appropriate for the situation of the Uighurs.
Reacting to this decision by the LFI group, Patrick Mennucci, a member of Anne Hidalgo's campaign team, does not find
“not surprising that the Insoumis did not vote”
, affirming crudely that
“Jean-Luc Mélenchon is maqué with the Chinese Communist Party”
.
An “old myth of the yellow peril”
In an interview with
Figaro
last November, Jean-Luc Mélenchon also exposed his vision of international relations and then denounced an
"old myth of the yellow peril"
in relations between France and China.
The candidate of the Insoumis explained that he refused
"to see France drawn into the new cold war with China"
, specifying that his
"line"
was that of
"the independence of France"
.
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Fifth dissonant voice, the communist deputy Jean-Paul Lecoq also abstained on Thursday, denouncing a text which was
“not up to the challenges”
, and arguing that the recognition of genocide
“does not belong to the legislator , but to the international judge”.
According
to him, this motion for a resolution would maintain a kind of
“unhealthy memory competition”
.
