Published on: 09/01/2022 – 10:36Modified on: 09/01/2022 – 10:40 The UN published on Wednesday a long-awaited report, written by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), on alleged violations of human rights in the Chinese region of Xinjiang (north-west), in particular against Muslim minorities. Based on interviews and direct or second-hand information, the report raises the possibility of “crimes against humanity”, but does not use the term “genocide” used by the United States. The report of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) contains five main allegations on the situation in Xinjiang, all of which are however denied by the Chinese authorities. Here are five key points to take away from this report. A “large-scale arbitrary detention pattern” It first describes a “large-scale arbitrary detention pattern” in this province “at least from 2017 to 2019” in secure facilities. Long hit by bloody attacks mainly in Xinjiang, China accuses separatists and Islamists from the Uyghur ethnic minority and has launched an implacable campaign in the name of anti-terrorism. Beijing presents these establishments as “vocational training centers” intended to “de-radicalize” residents by training them in a trade. The UN report cites documents, presented as coming from the Chinese authorities and listing a series of reasons to justify internment for “extremism”: having too many children, wearing a veil or even having been convicted in the past. With the presumed closure of the training centers, the UN also believes “that there has been a move towards formal incarceration” in order to continue to keep a certain number of people in detention. This method has become the “main means of large-scale imprisonment and deprivation of liberty”. According to the Chinese authorities, the definitions of terrorism and extremism are “clearly specified” and “exclude any arbitrary application”, assures- t-she.>> To read also: China: the UN denounces possible “crimes against humanity” in Xinjiang “Credible” accusations of torture Without confirming them, the report considers “credible” the accusations of torture and sexual violence in internment facilities in Xinjiang. People interviewed by the UN say they were immobilized and beaten. Some claim to have been raped or to have undergone “invasive gynecological examinations”. “It is not possible to draw broader conclusions as to whether there have been broader patterns of sexual and gender-based violence” in vocational training centers, the report notes. [chinois] against all the allegations [ont toutefois] heightened the indignity and suffering [des personnes ayant témoigné]“, denounces the UN. Testimonies of birth control The UN questioned women who declared “to have been forced to have an abortion or to have an IUD inserted after having reached the number of children authorized” by the national policy “These first-hand accounts, although limited in number, are considered credible,” says the report, which notes the decline in the birth rate in Xinjiang since 2017. Refuting any idea of ”sterilization force”, China concedes to apply in Xinjiang, as elsewhere in the country, its policy of limiting births, for a long time implemented with laxity in the region.>> To read also on France 24: “Survivor of the Chinese gulag”: Uyghur survivor testifies Religion criminalized UN report says China has ‘extremely broad’ interpretation of ‘extremism’, resulting in criminalization of activities ‘related to enjoyment’ of a cultural and religious life”. Wearing a hijab, closing a restaurant during Ramadan or giving one’s children first names considered too Muslim (“Mohammed”, “Islam”, “Jihad”, etc.) are considered to be signs of “religious extremism” which “may lead to serious consequences” for those concerned, according to the report, which is based on articles from several media. The OHCHR also takes note of “very worrying” press reports regarding the alleged destruction of mosques and cemeteries in Xinjiang. According to Beijing, all “normal religious activities” in the region are protected by law. Authorities say they have renovated some mosques with public funds and set up new official institutes to train Muslim clerics. “Forced” labor: “clarifications” needed According to the report, some elements of employment programs in Xinjiang “appear” to have “elements of coercion” and require “clarifications” from Beijing. The OHCHR cites official Chinese documents mentioning the transfer of people from “vocational training centers” to factories. He thus wonders whether such programs “can be considered as being carried out entirely on a voluntary basis”. and the European Parliament based on reports from Western organizations. On the Chinese side, it is claimed that “trainees” in “vocational training centers” can “freely choose their jobs” and that they “earn a salary and lead a prosperous life”. With AFP