France demands free entry of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Xinjiang
Jul 22, 2020
Paris [France], July 22 : French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has demanded free entry of international independent observers and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to China's western province of Xinjiang, home to about one million Uighurs.
"All of the practices in the area are unacceptable because they go against all the global human rights conventions and we condemn them strongly," the top French diplomat was quoted as saying by Anadolu news agency on Tuesday.
Paris is carefully monitoring the situation in Xinjiang but also want international independent observers and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet to be allowed to "freely enter" the region, he said.
In recent weeks, several countries have announced stringent actions against China over atrocities committed on Uighurs by the Chinese government.
On Tuesday, the Muslim Council of Britain urged the UK government to "take strong action" against China for "ethnic cleansing of Uighur Muslims".
The United States on Monday (local time) announced sanctions against a new group of 11 Chinese companies for their alleged involvement in human rights violations in Xinjiang.
