AFTER their miserable failure to mould international public opinion against China on the issue of human rights in Xinjiang, the vested interests have come out with yet another plan to malign Beijing by setting up the so-called “Uygur Tribunal”, a move devoid of legitimacy under international law.
It was in this context that Xu Guixiang, spokesperson of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, strongly condemned its formation, declaring that any so-called verdict or ruling of the Tribunal would be nothing more than a piece of waste paper.
It is unfortunate that despite consistent clarifications by senior officials in Beijing, true representatives of the Uygur Muslims and independent observers, who were afforded unrestricted access to the region that rights of Uygurs are fully protected and they are marching ahead on the road to progress and prosperity just like other ethnic groups elsewhere in China, some powers keep on trying to mislead the world on the issue.
Therefore, the strong reaction of the Chinese officials to the latest move is understandable as it amounts to fanning ethnic trouble in the country as per their mischievous agenda and designs.
The move becomes questionable by the very fact that a special ‘tribunal’ has been unilaterally and illegally formed whereas relevant forums already exist in case of any legitimate complaint and grievance.
There is absolute logic in the remarks made by Chinese officials who pointed out that genocide cases are mostly tried either by competent courts of the country where it took place or by an international criminal tribunal whose jurisdiction the country has accepted, under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention).
They say no state or organization has the right to arbitrarily find another state guilty of genocide.
It is also worth mentioning that the tribunal is being funded by the “World Uygur Congress”, which Beijing classifies as an anti-China separatist organization with links to terrorism.
Chinese are also legitimately complaining that fake, fugitive and discredited individuals are portrayed as witnesses, making proceedings of the tribunals a mere farce.
It is hoped that all fair-minded members of the civilized world would condemn all attempts aimed at unfairly treating China and that too when it was implementing a comprehensive plan to improve socio-economic conditions of people of Xinjiang
. As has been emphasized by the spokesperson Muslims of all ethnic groups can carry out religious activities in mosques and in their own houses in full accordance with their personal wishes.
