Joint Statement Delivered by the Chinese Delegation on Human Rights Issues of the United Kingdom at the 47th Session of the Human Rights Council
2021-06-30 23:31

Madam President,

I have the honor to speak on behalf of a group of countries. We express our deep concerns on the human rights situation in the United Kingdom. Severe systemic racism, racial discrimination, hate speech, xenophobia and related violence have long been existing in the United Kingdom. These discriminatory actions are toxic residues of colonialism and trade in enslaved Africans in UK's history . A number of Special Procedures have expressed their concerns, but the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, which was set up by the UK government, is trying to deny the facts. UK military service men have committed killings of civilians in overseas operations but are at large to this day. The UK is trying to shield them from due accountability by way of legislation. The migrant detention centers in the UK are operating under poor conditions and the rights of migrants are severely violated. In addition, the UK spread disinformation and provoked confrontation out of political purposes, using human rights as a pretext to interfere in other countries' internal affairs. Politicized acts as such have seriously undermined international human rights cooperation and are deeply concerning.

We urge the UK government to face up to its human rights problems, immediately stop all human rights violations, address the root cause of racial discrimination and hate crime, and carry out thorough and impartial investigations into cases of unlawful killings of civilians and other crimes, bring the perpetrators to justice and provide victims with remedies. We call on the Human Rights Council to look into human rights violations in the UK and take necessary steps to monitor actions of the UK government to correct its mistakes.

Thank you, Madam President.

 

List:

China, Belarus, Bolivia, DPRK, Iran, Russia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Venezuela