British lawmakers urge UK govt to act tough against China on rights abuses

A group of British lawmakers have urged the Boris Johnson government to take tough action against China over its treatment of the Uyghur community in Xinjiang province.

The cross-party committee, led by Conservative leader Tom Tugendhat, said in a report that the atrocities being committed in Xinjiang to represent an international crisis of profound urgency, making it unconscionable for any civilised government to look the other way.

"The evidence of severe human rights abuses and crimes against the Uyghur people is already overwhelming and indisputable, and Parliament has called it genocide," Tugendhat said.

The report by UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee has called on the UK government to explore a ban on the import of all cotton products known to be produced in whole or in part in Xinjiang.

In their 37-page report - Never Again: The UK's Responsibility to Act on Atrocities in Xinjiang and Beyond - the British MPs said the UK Government should ensure that the Chinese government faces consequences at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics for its crimes in Xinjiang.

The report called on the UK government to increase pressure on the Chinese government to allow international observers access to Xinjiang, especially the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. "As an alternative, the Committee recommends a UN investigation taking place from outside of China," the report said.

It further said that the government should use every opportunity it has at the UN organs, summits and treaty bodies to call for the immediate disbandment of the camps.

Furthermore, the report urges the government to engage in dialogue with the International Criminal Court about the feasibility of an investigation into crimes committed against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and beyond.

Despite mounting evidence, Beijing continues to deny the grave human rights violation in Xinjiang.

( With inputs from ANI )