British lawmakers across the political spectrum are calling on the Prime Minister to partially ban the boycott and trade in cotton at the Winter Olympics.
A group of influential British lawmakers have urged the government to take tougher action against China for treating minority groups, including a partial ban on the boycott of the Winter Olympics and a ban on the cotton trade.
In a report following a month-long investigation, Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday recommended exploring the feasibility of an International Criminal Court investigation into alleged crimes against Uighur and other Muslims in the northern Chinese region. west of China.
The multi-party committee, led by Conservative politician Tom Tugendhat, said in a report that the “atrocities” being committed in Xinjiang “represent an international crisis of deep urgency, making it inconceivable that any civilized government should look to another.” side “.
He called on the government to accept the opinion of MPs – expressed in a symbolic vote in April – that minority groups suffering genocide and crimes against humanity and to take stronger measures “to end these crimes”.
The multi-party group wants Britain to use all diplomatic levers to put pressure on Beijing to allow international observers, in particular the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to access Xinjiang.
It also supports an accelerated asylum process for those fleeing persecution in the region, forming a coalition of “sanctuary states” with Western allies.
“The time has come for the politics of the greats,” said committee member Alicia Kearns, also a Conservative. “We are the mother of all parliaments. If we are not willing to speak for those whom others seek to silence, what will parliament do? “
Human rights groups believe at least one million Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities have been detained in camps in Xinjiang, where China is also accused of forcibly sterilizing women and imposing forced labor.
Beijing has denied all allegations of abuse and insisted that its policies in Xinjiang are necessary to combat violent “extremism”.
“Nesting the Dragon”
In their 37-page report: Never Again: The UK’s Responsibility for Acting Against Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond, British MPs argued that the “really horrible” crimes that occur are “a call to justice”. international action “.
Among the recommended responses, he urges Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government to ensure that Beijing “faces consequences” when it hosts the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The committee wants ministers and dignitaries to skip opening and closing ceremonies, discourage British companies from sponsoring or advertising the event, and encourage fans and tourists to stay away.
On Wednesday, Johnson indicated he did not mind boycotting the Games, and told lawmakers he was “instinctively” against the sports boycott.
“This country has led the world in condemning human rights abuses in Xinjiang and imposing sanctions on those responsible, requiring companies to import goods made by forced labor into Xinjiang,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, the report urges the government to explore a ban on importing all cotton products related to Xinjiang, which supplies the vast majority of China’s cotton.
It is estimated that more than 570,000 people have been forced to harvest cotton in the Xinjiang region.
He also wants a ban on surveillance companies in Britain such as Hikvision, which supply surveillance equipment to detention camps there.
The United States, which has accused Beijing of genocide in Xinjiang, has already imposed various trade sanctions on cotton producers and users, as well as tomato products and hair products as fabrics originating in the region.
Last month it also banned the import of solar panel materials from a Chinese company and imposed restrictions on four other people for alleged use of forced labor in Xinjiang.
“We still have time to make these decisions and if we decide not to do so, what we are doing is nesting the dragon more and more into our national life,” committee chairman Tugendhat said.
