The Canadian parliament has voted to define China's treatment of the Uighur muslim population as 'genocide'. The move however has not been supported by current Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
The bill was put in-front of the parliament by Canadian conservatives but was supported by many members of Trudeau's own Liberal party. The conservative leader Erin O'Toole said that the motion was required to send a:
"Clear and unequivocal signal that we will stand up for human rights and the dignity of human rights, even if it means sacrificing some economic opportunity."
The vote will now likely raise tensions between Canada and China.
The vote means that Canada is now the second country in the world to define China's actions against the Uighurs as 'genocide', following a vote in the United States that took place shortly before the removal of Donald Trump.
The Uighur people are an ethnic group of mostly Muslims who live in the north-west of China, particularly in the province of Xinjiang. It has been claimed by Uighur groups and some human-rights organisations that the Chinese state discriminates against the Uighurs. These allegations include the claim that millions of Uighurs have been forced into re-education camps.
China rejects these allegations. Earlier this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the United Nations that no such 'genocide' was taking place. He added that any international observer or organisation could come and inspect the province anytime they so wished. He stated:
"The door to Xinjiang is always open. People from many countries who have visited Xinjiang have learned the facts and the truth on the ground. China also welcomes the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Xinjiang."
Amnesty International has however stated that it firmly believes on the evidence it has that as many as 1 million people are currently forcibly detained. In a statement on their website, they state:
"We know that the Uighur Muslim community is facing grave persecution in China. We have conducted hundreds of interviews on the ground; with the relatives of many that have gone missing, as well as those who claim to have been imprisoned and tortured in detention camps. Furthermore, we have acquired and analysed satellite imagery and official Chinese documents, all of which indicate a mass-internment programme."
The UK Parliament last month rejected defining China's alleged actions against the Uighurs as genocide, saying that such a claim could not be substantiated in law.
[h/t: The Guardian]
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