China: UN Human Rights Chief Can Visit Xinjiang

Beijing, MINA – The head of the United Nations Human Rights Agency Michelle Bachelet can visit Xinjiang, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

He added that China does not welcome any investigation based on the presumption of guilt, The News reported.

Bachelet has long sought access to western China to investigate allegations of abuse against ethnic Ughurs. The issue has strained relations between Beijing and the West, sparking accusations of genocide from Washington and a joint US-led diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing.

“(China) rejects all kinds of bias, prejudice and groundless accusations,” said Wang, who is also a member of China’s state council.

He said it via video at the Munich Security Conference when asked if Bachelet would have unrestricted access to Xinjiang.

Human rights groups accuse China of massive abuses against the Uyghurs and other minority groups, including torture, forced labor and the detention of one million people in internment camps.

China says the camps are re-education and training facilities and denies any abuse, saying it is to combat religious extremism.

The so-called forced labor camps or systematic education are all lies and fabrications, Wang said.

“I hope you can trust the Chinese government, and trust what the Chinese government is saying and the information we’ve released,” he said. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)