Meetings in Xinjiang 'unsupervised', China visit 'not an investigation': UN rights chief

UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet after meeting Chinese officials said her meetings in Xinjiang were "unsupervised" by authorities.

Bachelet said the visit was "not an investigation" as she added that the virtual meeting with President Xi Jinping was a chance to "listen to each other".

Also Read: Uyghurs urge UN rights chief to ask hard questions in Xinjiang

The US State Department had earlier declared that it had "no expectation that the PRC (People's Republic of China) will grant the necessary access required to conduct a complete, unmanipulated assessment of the human rights environment in Xinjiang."

"We are aware of the number of people seeking news on the fate of loved ones... this and other issues were raised with authorities," the UN human rights chief said.

The State Department spokesman Ned Price said the Biden administration was "deeply concerned about the upcoming visit" and expressed unhappiness over alleged human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Watch: First visit by UN Human Rights official to China since 2005

Price added that was "a mistake to agree to a visit under the circumstances".

Human Rights Watch had added earlier that the Chinese Communist Party may "manipulate the visit as a public relations stunt."

Michelle Bachelet said Xinjiang officials had assured her that the controversial "re-education" camps have been "dismantled" as she urged Chinese officials not to undertake "arbitrary and indiscriminate measures" and avoid counter-terrorism" crackdown in the Xinjiang.

China has consistently denied the existence of detention camps in Xinjiang but in 2018 it had conceded there were  "vocational training centres" even as the United States has said China has been conducting "genocide" against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. 

(With inputs from Agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.