A Chinese pagoda overlooks the old city in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, May 4, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas PeterBachelet to end her mandate after one term on Aug.
The report has been in the works for three years and promised for months but has not been published for unclear reasons."We are trying very hard to do what I promised," Bachelet said, referring to a pledge to release the report before the end of her term on Aug. 31. Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against Uyghurs, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority that numbers around 10 million in the western region of Xinjiang, including the mass use of forced labour in internment camps. The United States has accused China of genocide.Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch, said Bachelet's response was "woefully inadequate" given the scale of abuses. Michele Taylor, U.S.
While it is normal practice for Bachelet's office to share an unpublished report with the concerned country, rights groups worry this gives China the scope to shape its contents.