Time to speak against China’s repression of ethnic minorities

In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, popularly known as the “Genocide Convention. Raphael Lemkin, the person who coined the term, “genocide” in his book titled, “Axis Rule in Occupied Europe,” describes it as “a coordinated plan of different actions, […]

In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, popularly known as the “Genocide Convention.

Raphael Lemkin, the person who coined the term, “genocide” in his book titled, “Axis Rule in Occupied Europe,” describes it as “a coordinated plan of different actions, aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves. The objectives of such a plan would be the disintegration of the political and social institutions, of culture, language, national feelings, religion, and the economic existence of national groups, and the destruction of the personal security, liberty, health, dignity, and even the lives of the individuals belonging to such groups.”

But unfortunately, there exists a gap between the original understanding of genocide according to Lemkin and its present legal conceptualisation.

Today, the United Nations only recognises physical (causing deaths) and biological (preventing births) genocides as the integral parts of the crime and has almost completely ejected cultural genocide (destruction of a group’s specific characteristics) from it. Hence, cultural genocide is not punishable by international law even though many supporters of its inclusion, especially those that were part of the sixth UN Committee on Genocide believed that cultural genocide is always the aim while physical genocide is the means, therefore, excluding it as an integral part of genocide will surely be an impediment to curtailing the physical type.

The explanation behind this conscious exclusion right from Nuremberg trials to the genocide convention drafting is the fact that there is an existential fear by countries that the inclusion of cultural genocide will set a precedent that would supposedly weaken their sovereignty and give way for international interference in internal affairs of states concerning the treatment of their national minorities.

Sadly, China, a superpower, is now harnessing this international law loophole and has resorted to a systematic ethnic cleansing of Uighur Muslims and other minorities in the occupied East Turkestan, otherwise known as Xinjiang.

Reports have shown that 3 to 5 million people are being arbitrarily detained in torture-driven concentration camps that China always refers to as re-education centres.

Hiding behind ‘Crackdown against terrorism and extremism and promotion of social harmony,’ China is systematically enforcing all its citizens, regardless of religious and cultural affiliation, to conform with the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) atheist principles, even after legally recognising five religions, Islam and Catholicism inclusive.

It is time to speak out against modern day torture and all forms of slavery. It is China today, it could be any other place tomorrow.

Abdulhaleem Ishaq Ringim, a political analyst, wrote from Zaria, and can be reached on [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>