France Says China’s Repression of Xinjiang Uighurs Unacceptable

(Bloomberg) -- France renewed its criticism of China over the treatment of the Uighurs in Xinjiang on Wednesday, calling for human rights observers to be allowed into the region and demanding that internment camps be closed.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said witness accounts indicated human rights abuses that cannot be ignored, such as detention camps, people disappearing, forced labor, the destruction of Uighur cultural heritage and especially places of worship, surveillance, and a system of repression.

“We cannot accept this situation,” Le Drian told lawmakers in answer to a question to the government in the Senate, noting that France’s position was unchanged following China’s rejection of French criticism earlier on Wednesday. “We will continue to firmly condemn these actions.”

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told journalists earlier that the country rejected interference in its internal affairs and that its actions in Xinjiang were part of its fight against terrorism and separatism, AFP news agency reported. He added that Beijing wasn’t targeting any specific ethnic group.

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