The French National Assembly speaks almost unanimously of genocide against the Uyghurs. The decision comes at an inopportune time for China - shortly before the Winter Olympics.
The French National Assembly on Thursday qualified the Chinese authorities' treatment of the Muslim ethnic group of the Uyghurs as genocide. 169 deputies approved the resolution, with one vote against and five abstentions. "The National Assembly officially recognizes the acts of violence committed by the authorities of the People's Republic of China against the Uyghurs as crimes against humanity and genocide," the resolution reads. "We condemn them," it continues. "Our honor is at stake," said Christophe Castaner, leader of the ruling party La République en marche, justifying support for the resolution. France cannot look the other way in the face of the mistreatment of the Uyghurs, he said.
The non-binding resolution recommends the government in Paris to also assess the human rights violations in the province of Xinjiang as genocide and to take appropriate measures. Foreign Trade Minister Franck Riester said in the National Assembly that there was "systematic violence" against the Uyghurs, documented by incriminating testimonies. However, he said, it was not up to the government to formally qualify these acts of violence as genocide. This would have to be done by the "international authorities." It would be up to the United Nations or an international court to determine which legal facts corresponded to the treatment of the Uighurs. Foreign Trade Minister Riester is expected to visit Berlin this Friday to discuss the issue. read more