China has agreed to let the United Nation’s human rights chief visit Xinjiang in the first half of 2022 after the conclusion of the Beijing Winter Olympics, media reports said.
Rights groups say Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang continue to face systematic state-organized mass imprisonment, and persecution amounting to crimes against humanity. The US and several rights groups have criticized China’s human rights record in the treatment of Uighurs. Beijing continues to deny all allegations of abuse.
Since September 2018, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet was in talks with Chinese authorities over a possible visit to the province in the northwest part of China.
In June last year, the UN rights chief had expressed hope to agree on terms for Xinjiang visit to look into reports of rights abuse against Uyghurs.
Media reports said the approval for a UN visit has been granted, for a period, after the conclusion of the Beijing Winter Games. However, reports also add that Bejing has placed a condition that the trip should not be framed as a probe.
Addressing the 47th session of the Human Rights Council, Bachelet in June 2021 had said that the United Nations is discussing with China modalities for a visit to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Along with a visit, Bachelet had said she will also seek “meaningful access” to the province.