15 countries led by Australia issue UN statement condemning China’s ‘international crimes’

In a bold move at the United Nations, a coalition of 15 countries led by Australia issued a statement condemning China for what it described as “international crimes” against ethnic minorities, particularly targeting the treatment of Uyghurs and Tibetans. 

The joint statement represents a growing international push to address the reported human rights abuses and political repression perpetrated by Beijing.

The statement, read during a UN General Assembly meeting on human rights, was a coordinated effort by Australia and other nations in the coalition. 

This coalition of Western and democratic nations highlighted the Chinese government’s alleged systematic repression of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Tibetans and other ethnic minorities through mass detentions, forced labour, surveillance, and coerced cultural assimilation.Australia, acting as the leader of this coalition, took a particularly assertive stance in rallying global support for this condemnation. 

The statement explicitly called out the Chinese government’s actions as “grave violations of international human rights laws” and pressed for greater accountability from Beijing.

Australia’s Ambassador to the United Nations, James Larsen, has made a firm appeal to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), urging it to honour human rights in the regions of Xinjiang and Tibet. 

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His statement came on behalf of a coalition of 15 countries, which includes Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.The joint statement referred to several adverse findings by international bodies, including an assessment by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) two years ago. 

That report found that severe human rights violations in Xinjiang had been committed and noted that the detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim minorities might constitute “international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.” 

This assessment has since been supported by four other UN bodies, which reached similar conclusions.

The statement noted the findings of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which had raised multiple cases of unlawful detention and enforced disappearances in Xinjiang. 

Additionally, over 20 independent experts, known as special rapporteurs, have expressed serious concerns about what they described as systemic human rights violations in the region.

Larsen highlighted that these reports heavily rely on Chinese official records and evidence. 

According to the reports, evidence pointed to widespread arbitrary detention, forced labour, family separations, and enforced disappearances in Xinjiang. 

The findings also outlined extensive surveillance based on religion and ethnicity, strict restrictions on cultural and religious practices, instances of torture, sexual and gender-based violence, and forced abortions and sterilizations. 

Additionally, they pointed to the destruction of religious and cultural sites as part of this repression.In Tibet, various UN treaty bodies and special rapporteurs have also documented human rights violations, including detaining individuals for peacefully expressing their political opinions, restricting movement, enforcing coerced labour arrangements, and separating children from their families in boarding schools. 

Reports also indicated an erosion of linguistic, cultural, educational, and religious rights and freedoms in the region.Despite numerous opportunities to address these issues, Beijing dismissed the OHCHR’s findings, labeling them “illegal and void.” 

China vehemently rejected the accusations, calling the statement “interference in its internal affairs.” 

Beijing’s representative at the UN, Zhang Jun, labeled the claims as “blatant lies fabricated by hostile Western forces.” 

The Chinese government maintains that its policies in Xinjiang are part of counter-terrorism measures to address extremism and that the re-education camps are vocational centers intended to improve economic opportunities for minorities.China has repeatedly denied allegations of forced labour and cultural erasure, accusing the coalition of spreading misinformation and weaponizing human rights issues for geopolitical gain. 

Chinese officials also counter-accused Australia and the coalition members of hypocrisy, pointing to their own histories of racial discrimination and colonial atrocities.

The 15 countries have jointly called on the CCP to release all individuals arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang and Tibet and to provide clear information about missing family members.“We urge China to uphold the international human rights obligations it has voluntarily agreed to and fully implement all UN recommendations,” the statement reads. 

The coalition emphasized that transparency and openness are essential to addressing these concerns and urged China to grant independent observers, including UN representatives, unrestricted access to Xinjiang and Tibet to assess the human rights situation.The coalition concluded with an acknowledgment that no nation is without flaws in its human rights record, but emphasized that all countries must be subject to fair scrutiny of their human rights obligations.

This coordinated condemnation at the UN marks a significant escalation in international pressure against China. 

It highlights how concerns over the human rights situation in Xinjiang have moved from individual criticisms by Western nations to a more unified, multilateral approach. 

The move also comes amid growing global scrutiny over other controversial Chinese policies, including actions in Hong Kong, Xinjiang, Tibet, and its handling of dissent and political opposition domestically.

The UN statement condemning China’s “international crimes” against ethnic minorities is a powerful declaration of unity among Australia and its coalition partners. 

It amplifies the concerns of the international community regarding human rights violations in Xinjiang and beyond. 

However, this coalition-led statement also presents complex diplomatic dynamics, as it confronts a rising China determined to defend its policies and narrative on the global stage.