cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/4105084
Another piece on topic: Liberal Senator James Paterson rejects ‘lectures’ from Chinese Communist Party on human rights after Beijing’s shock claim
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has rejected accusations from Beijing that his country is “plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes” after an Australian diplomat led a group of Western nations in renewing concerns about human rights violations in China.
“When it comes to China, we’ve said we’ll cooperate where we can, we’ll disagree where we must, and we’ll engage in our national interest, and we’ve raised issues of human rights with China,” Albanese told reporters on Thursday as he arrived in the Pacific Island nation of Samoa for a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.
A day earlier, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian had denounced a statement made by 15 nations to the United Nations General Assembly this week — presented by a top Australian envoy — underscoring “ongoing concerns” about “serious human rights violations” in Xinjiang and Tibet.
James Larsen, Australia’s ambassador to the U.N., urged China to “uphold the international human rights obligations that it has voluntarily assumed” by releasing “all individuals arbitrarily detained in both Xinjiang and Tibet, and urgently clarifying the fate and whereabouts of missing family members.”
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Singling out Australia for rebuke, Jian said the country was “long plagued by systemic racism and hate crimes” and should resolve its own affairs rather than criticizing China’s.
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The Chinese government launched in 2017 a campaign of assimilation in the northwestern Xinjiang region — home to 11 million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities — that has included mass detentions, alleged political indoctrination, alleged family separations and alleged forced labor among other methods.
More than 1 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other ethnic minorities are estimated to have been held in extralegal internment camps. The Chinese government at the time described the camps as ” vocational training centers.”
The U.N. Human Rights Office in 2022 found accusations of rights violations in Xinjiang “credible” and said China may have committed crimes against humanity in the region.
Larson in his statement also cited “credible” reports of China subjecting Tibetans to coercive labor, separation of children from their families, erosion of cultural and religious freedoms, and detention for peaceful political protests.
He urged “unfettered and meaningful access” to Xinjiang and Tibet for independent observers.
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As a foreign born person, now living in Australia with Australian citizenship, Australia has undoubted racism, including casual racism, institutional racism and blatant bigotry. However, viokent hate crimes are much more rare. Australians are generally welcoming, even to those they hold outdated racist views against. Its not people in masks lighting crosses on lawns. Its people being friendly with foreigners at work but never making friends with them, despite doing the same with white coworkers. Its having neoghbours whobyou are friendly with and borrow tools from each other but still roll your eyes as they dont eat bacon, son you couldn’t possibly invite them over for a barbecue as your potato salad has bacon bits on top. Its denying original Australians a voice in the Parliament.
However, China has a much bigger problem with racism where there is purposeful genocide. However, China’s criticism rings true, because it is.
Australia can and will do better as most peopke dont want to be racist. There is a fringe far right element, like most western countries but its not the norm. I thibknchina will also do better as their exposure to other cultures and peoples increases.