By Aaron Miller-
Australia’s parliament has voted against a motion to label China’s persecution of ethnic minority Uighurs in Xinjiang as genocide.
The motion was dismissed in the Australian Senate today, after the governing Liberal Party-led Coalition and main opposition Labor Party blocked a formal voting motion on the proposal, with the Senate voting 33-12 against the resolution.
The refusal of the Australian government to condemn China’s actions as genocide, comes in the wake of declarations by the US, Canada and the Netherlands, that the persecution of Uighurs in China is genocide. China has strongly denied allegations of human rights abuses against the Uighur population.
Failing
The proposed Senate motion was pushed by Independent Senator Rex Patrick, who has now called out the Australian government for failing to call out China’s treatment of the Uighur population..
A report, published this week by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy think tank in Washington, DC, brought together the findings of 50 experts in human rights and international law. Institute for Strategy and Policy think tank in Washington, DC, brought together the findings of 50 experts in human rights and international law.
The report constituted China’s Breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention, concluded that Beijing is in breach of Article II of the Genocide Convention, having violated ‘each and every act’ prohibited under Article II.
It comprises a presentation of the facts that could be established together with careful analysis of whether China bears State responsibility for breaches of the Genocide Convention.
The United States declared China’s actions as genocide in January, and the Canadian and Dutch parliaments followed suit in February,
Liberal Senator Jonathan Duniam, said the government felt the motion would not have been an appropriate way of addressing such human rights concerns. He told the senate:
Australia has expressed concern about reports of enforced disappearances, mass detentions, forced labour, pervasive surveillance of Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.
We will continue to work closely with our key partners to advocate on this issue in a meaningful way”
The Green party showed support for Patrick’s motion during the vote, as did Senator Jacqui Lambie and Senator Stirling Griff.
The vote comes after a major new report from US think tank Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy accusing the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of demonstrating an ‘intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group’.