China has blasted the United States' hypocrisy in advocating the rights of the Muslim minority in the western Chinese Xinjiang region even though it has killed more Muslims in wars and operations than any other country in the world.
The permanent representatives of the US, Britain, and Germany at the United Nations (UN) are scheduled to address a virtual event on Wednesday focusing — as claimed in the invitations sent out by the sponsors — on how the UN and member states can support the human rights of ethnic Turkic Muslim communities in Xinjiang. China has rejected allegations that it is violating the rights of the minority there.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, a spokeswoman for Chinese Foreign Ministry pointed to the US record of rights abuses in the world and said the upcoming event was bound to turn a blind eye to the facts.
"Some in the US buy the 'account' of the few false witnesses and experts, but refuse to listen to the voices far outnumbering those of false actors, and heed the call of 1.4 billion Chinese people, including over 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang," the ministry's spokeswoman Hua Chunying wrote.
"The US killed Muslims more than any other country in the world," Hua added. "As it waged wars and carried out military operations in the name of 'counterterrorism' in 80-plus countries, leading to 800,000+ deaths and tens of millions displaced in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria."
The #US killed #Muslims more than any other country in the world. As it waged wars and carried out military operations in the name of "counterterrorism" in 80-plus countries, leading to 800,000+ deaths and tens of millions displaced in #Afghanistan, #Iraq and #Syria. pic.twitter.com/FxlXTbEiLs
— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) May 11, 2021
Speaking during a daily press briefing on Monday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman had slammed Washington's attempt to organize the event as "an insult" and said its sponsors intended to use "human rights issues as a political tool to interfere in China's internal affairs."
The Muslim Uighur minority in Xinjiang makes up about 45 percent of the region's population. The West accuses Beijing of cultural, religious, and economic discrimination in the region.
Last year, a UN human rights panel alleged that up to two million Uighurs had been forced into "political camps for indoctrination" in the autonomous region.
China rejects claims of mistreating the Uighurs, saying it has been taking anti-terrorism measures against separatists in the region who are seeking to join Takfiri outfits such as al-Qaeda.
Beijing describes the camps in Xinjiang as "vocational education and employment training centers," which are part of its efforts to tackle underdevelopment and a lack of employment in the area.