Us restricts visas to china officials over uighur repression
The United States has announced that it will restrict visas for Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses, including those related to the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in Xinjiang, China.
On January 13, 2021, the US Department of State announced that it would impose visa restrictions on Chinese officials who are responsible for or complicit in the repression of Uighurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang. The restrictions will apply to officials who have been involved in the detention, torture, or forced labor of these groups, as well as those who have been involved in the suppression of their religious and cultural practices.
The announcement was made in response to the Chinese government's ongoing human rights abuses in Xinjiang, which have been widely condemned by human rights groups and governments around the world. The US has accused China of committing genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uighur population, and has called on China to end its human rights abuses and allow international observers to visit the region.
The visa restrictions will apply to Chinese officials who are responsible for or complicit in the following human rights abuses:
- Detention and torture of Uighurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups
- Forced labor and forced assimilation of these groups
- Suppression of their religious and cultural practices
- Forced sterilization and birth control measures targeting Uighur women
The restrictions will also apply to Chinese officials who have been involved in the construction of detention camps and other facilities used to detain and torture Uighurs and other minority groups.
The US has also called on China to allow international observers to visit Xinjiang and to provide access to the region for human rights investigators and journalists. The US has also imposed sanctions on Chinese officials and entities responsible for human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
The visa restrictions are part of a broader effort by the US to hold China accountable for its human rights abuses and to promote human rights and democracy around the world.