In a statement released over the weekend, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned that the Canadian Ambassador to Beijing visited the Xinjiang region last week, and directly expressed concerns to the local leaders regarding the human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Beijing responded with a defensive stance on Monday (June 24th).
The former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights mentioned in a report in 2022 that the CCP’s treatment of Uighur people in Xinjiang may constitute crimes against humanity.
On Sunday, the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Canadian Ambassador to China, Jennifer May, visited Xinjiang from June 19th to 22nd. This marked the first visit by a Canadian diplomat to Xinjiang in a decade, expressing concerns about “credible reports of systematic human rights violations”.
The ministry stated in the announcement that it was an opportunity to directly convey Canada’s concerns about the human rights situation to the leaders in Xinjiang.
“Ambassador May expressed concerns regarding credible reports of systematic human rights violations against Uighur and other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang, including reports from UN experts,” the statement continued.
On Monday (June 24th), the CCP refuted Canada’s claim of “credible reports” on Uighur human rights in Xinjiang.
In an email response to Reuters’ query, the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa condemned the so-called “stale accusations,” stating that Canada “unjustifiably comments on human rights situations in other countries”.
Following Canada’s warning to the CCP not to interfere in its elections a few weeks ago, Ambassador May visited Xinjiang.
In April, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that Beijing had attempted to interfere in Canada’s last two national elections. However, the CCP denied these accusations.
On Saturday (June 22nd), human rights organizations urged the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, to take further action to address documented cases of abuse against Uighur and other Muslim populations.
The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated that Ambassador May also emphasized Canada’s call for the CCP to allow unrestricted access for UN independent experts to all regions of China.
Similar to the United States, Canada has imposed sanctions on individuals and entities suspected of human rights violations in Xinjiang.