China forbids the United Nations Commissioner from issuing a report on inquiries into Uighur human rights

On July 20th, Reuters reported that the Chinese government is pressuring other nations to prevent Ms. Bachelet, the U.N. Commissioner for Human Rights, from releasing her report on the Uighurs. Ms. Bachelet visited Xinjiang Provence in May, focusing on the Uighur people and their hardships. A news outlet found that China has sent letters to numerous nations requesting their assistance. Diplomats from three countries have acknowledged receiving the letters.

 Western human rights organizations and other organizations allege that Uighur people have been subjected to forced labor, which is essentially slavery. The Chinese government has denied that the Uighurs have ever been mistreated in any way. The Chinese government criticizes Ms. Bachelet for being too lenient toward the Uighurs in her assessment of their treatment. Ms. Bachelet announced her intentions to step down from her U.N. position at the end of August but promised to publish the report before leaving.

 The three diplomats who received letters from the Chinese government claim that the Chinese embassy in Geneva is expressing “great worry” regarding the report’s dissemination. China has invited nations to sign a letter in favor of prohibiting the publication of the report.

 The Chinese authorities noted that if the findings are made public, the exaggerated claim that the Uighurs have been subjected to human rights violations will come up frequently in political debates. A conflict between the East and the West might result from this. China claims that as a result of the study, the U.N. Office for Human Rights will lose credibility, and its cooperation with the Member States will deteriorate. Chinese officials have convinced the Commissioner not to divulge the results of her visit. The Chinese embassy in Geneva’s spokesman declined to comment on the allegations.

 A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry emphasized that efforts by some nations to damage China’s reputation over Xinjiang will fail.

 It is unknown if Ms. Bachelet received a letter requesting the report not to be published. A U.N. spokesman declined to comment on the issue.