GENEVA, Aug 31 (Reuters) – Human rights groups and the United Nations are marking the two-year anniversary of a landmark U.N. report on China’s actions in Xinjiang by renewing calls for concrete action. The 2022 report, released by then-U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, found that China may have committed crimes against humanity through the mass detention and repression of Uyghur Muslims.
Since the report’s release, activists like Yalkun Uluyol—whose father was sentenced to 16 years in prison after disappearing in 2018—have expressed frustration at the lack of progress. “You released a report, but so what? My life has not gotten any better,” said Uluyol, who now lives in Istanbul.
Despite China’s firm denial of abuses and a 131-page rebuttal defending its Xinjiang policies, rights groups argue that Beijing has failed to implement the report’s recommendations, including releasing arbitrarily detained individuals.
Current U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk, who succeeded Bachelet, has maintained support for the report and urged China to address “problematic laws and policies.” However, critics like prominent advocate Kenneth Roth say Turk's approach has been “timid,” and activists, including Uluyol, are calling for more assertive action.
The U.N. says it continues to engage with China and encourages reform through dialogue. "There's a lot to be desired, which is why we need to continue to work with them," said U.N. spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
While Turk’s supporters believe quiet diplomacy could still bring results, many rights defenders argue that stronger public pressure is urgently needed to hold China accountable for its human rights violations in Xinjiang.