The State Department released its annual human rights report Tuesday that notably called out China for committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in its northwestern Xinjiang region. The report , required annually by law, detailed the human rights situation last year in nearly 200 countries. It noted that in China, “government authorities committed genocide against Uyghurs” along with “crimes against humanity including imprisonment, torture, enforced sterilization, and persecution.” Honored to release the 45th annual Human Rights Report. It demonstrates that human rights, transparency and accountability are at the forefront of U.S. foreign policy. We acknowledge the work ahead and expect all nations to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. #HRR2020 pic.twitter.com/G7BO475AoG — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 30, 2021 Current estimates indicate China has detained at least one million Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in reeducation camps, according to Axios. The report also mentioned there were “an additional two million subjected to daytime-only ‘re-education’ training,” new information not included in last year’s report . The report’s use of “genocide” rhetoric suggests the Biden administration intends to use more assertive language to describe the Chinese government’s actions in Xinjiang, according to Reuters. Blinken said during his confirmation hearing in January he agreed with former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s determination that China was committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. During the final days of the Trump administration, the U.S. became the first nation to call China’s actions in the region a genocide. (RELATED: Why Do So Few US Companies With Business In China Speak Out About Genocide? Look What’s Happening To H&M) The report also called out China for arresting citizen journalists during the initial COVID-19 outbreak in ...
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Shola Mos-Shogbamimu: Lessons learned from a lifetime of activism
Opinion by Shola Mos-Shogbamimu Updated 1102 GMT (1902 HKT) April 21, 2021 Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a lawyer, political and women's rights activist, and the author of This is Why I Resist. Follow @sholamos1 on Twitter. The views expressed in this commentary belong solely to the author. Read more from As Equals here and read our FAQs for information about how the series is funded and more. Every time I learn about unjust acts of inhumanity, it triggers an intense and overpowering sense of rage followed swiftly by an equally intense and overwhelming sense of powerlessness as my instinct to help is challenged by the question: "But, what can I do?" Examples of injustice and inequalities, whether it be the 2012 Delhi bus rape and murder ; the ethnic cleansing of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar ; the use of deadly force at anti-police protests in Nigeria ; the countless incidents of racial bias that led to many more Black people being fatally shot by the police in the US ; the horrifying scenes of bodies washing up on Europe's beaches and the response to it that has been described as "brutal" ; or the humanitarian crises in Yemen, Sudan, Syria , to name but a few -- all make my blood boil. My entire life is a protest against injustice. As a lawyer, political and women's rights activist, I have been unapologetically vocal and visible both publicly and privately. But I too have felt a deep helplessness at what seems to be increasing atrocities and man-made humanitarian disasters. It can be frustrating at best, and completely destabilizing at worst, to think that the injustice you have just witnessed, read about or heard of is beyond your power of influence or outside of your control to stop. Like me, many of us tend to think first of what we cannot do before taking a deep breath to consider what if any action we can realistically take. "If only I had the money, means, influence, power and control to do something," I ...
