37 Countries Praise China on Development Approach to Uighur Terrorism

July 17, 2019 (EIRNS)—Following the disgusting letter issued by 22 countries (18 European, the other Five Eyes and Japan) last week denouncing China for “mass arbitrary detentions and related violations” of Uighurs in Xinjiang, 37 other nations, including 12 majority Muslim nations, have issued a letter giving full support to China’s peaceful and development-oriented approach to dealing with terrorism in Xinjiang. Unstated, but clearly implied, is the contrast to the mass murder regime-change operations carried out across Southwest Asia by the western powers under the name of a phony “war on terrorism.”

“Faced with the grave challenge of terrorism and extremism,” the letter states, “China has undertaken a series of counter-terrorism and deradicalization measures in Xinjiang, including setting up vocational education and training centers.” Noting that there has been no terror attack in Xinjiang for three years and that life in the region is now secure and increasingly prosperous, the letter adds: “We commend China’s remarkable achievements in the field of human rights by adhering to the people-centered development philosophy and protecting and promoting human rights through development.”

The Islamic nation signers are: Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Syria, Tajikistan, Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria, and Togo. Others include Russia, Cuba, Venezuela, Angola, Belarus, Burma, North Korea, the Philippines, and Zimbabwe. CNS News notes also that at least 11 of the signatories are currently members of the HRC.

Chinese Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Xu Chen, speaking at the HRC conference on Friday in Geneva, welcomed the support of the signatories of the letter, saying China expected the HRC to “uphold in its work objectivity, transparency, non-selectivity, constructiveness, non-confrontation, and non-politicization,” and called on the 22 countries who issued the complaint against China to “discard their prejudices and stop politicizing human rights issues.”

Both CNN and NPR sent reporters to visit the camps this year, and, while trying to emphasize the forced detentions as a breach of human rights, were both forced to acknowledge the vocational aspect, the serious classes, and presence of Imams and free religious activities.