US prohibits Chinese officials from entering the country for “repression” of minorities

The United States banned an unknown number of Chinese “officials” from entering its country because of their involvement in the “repression” of ethnic or religious minorities, particularly Uyghur Muslims, victims of “genocide,” according to Washington.

In a statement, the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, announced the imposition of “visa restrictions” on officials of the People's Republic of China suspected of being responsible or complicit in policies or measures aimed at repressing religious or spiritual leaders, members of ethnic minority groups, dissidents , human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, civil society activists and peaceful demonstrators in China or abroad”.

Washington has not specified the number of people affected by the measure, nor their identity or rank. Nor does the US statement explain what prompted the repressive measures.

The sanctions come at a time when President Joe Biden tries to pressure Beijing to use its influence over Russia to end the invasion of Ukraine, or at least to refrain from supporting Moscow.

Blinken denounced in his statement attempts to “harass, intimidation, surveillance and abduction” of people belonging to Chinese ethnic or religious minorities, “including those seeking refuge abroad and US citizens who defend these vulnerable populations.”

The Secretary of State asked the Chinese government to “stop” from “trying to silence US Uyghur militants” by refusing permits to leave the country requested by their relatives in China.

Beijing, which denies the accusations, is reported to have interned more than one million Uighurs, a Muslim minority living in Xinjiang, in the northwest of the country, in political re-education camps, where it would resort, among other measures, to forced labor.

“We call on the Chinese government to end its genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, its repressive policies in Tibet, its twist on fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong and human rights violations, and in particular violations of religious freedom, in other parts of the country,” he concluded. Blinken.

fff/led/dl/dga