UK Hits Back As China Imposes Sanctions On Lawmakers

Britain’s government on Friday gave its full backing to British
lawmakers and others sanctioned by China for speaking out in
defence of the Uyghur Muslim minority.

“The MPs and other British citizens sanctioned by China today
are performing a vital role shining a light on the gross human
rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims,” Prime
Minister Boris Johnson tweeted.

“Freedom to speak out in opposition to abuse is fundamental and
I stand firmly with them.”

China announced sanctions against nine UK individuals and four
entities, saying they had “maliciously spread lies and
disinformation” over Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said China’s ambassador to London
would be summoned to state the government’s stance.

“We will explain in very clear terms the position both in
relation to the MPs and the other figures who have spoken out, but
also that we will not be silenced in speaking out about these human
rights abuses,” he added.

Raab called on Beijing to give the United Nations full access to
the region of Xinjiang if it wants to “credibly rebut claims of
human rights abuses”.

The sanctions would not stop the government or the individuals
targeted from “speaking up about the industrial-scale human rights
abuses that are taking place in Xinjiang”, he added.

He warned “international pressure will continue to grow” as long
as China resisted UN access to the region.

China’s last ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming left his post at
the end of January after 11 years in the position. His replacement,
Zheng Zeguang, is yet to be installed and is currently Beijing’s
vice-minister of foreign affairs.

Justice Minister Robert Buckland said “we strongly deprecate”
Beijing’s announcement, which also targeted a British law firm that
has taken up Uyghur rights causes.

Those sanctioned include Iain Duncan Smith, former leader of
Britain’s ruling Conservative party, along with four groups that
have been vocal in driving rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong higher
up Westminster’s agenda.

Duncan Smith said it was “our duty to call out the Chinese
government’s human rights abuses in Hong Kong and their genocide of
the Uyghur people”.

“Those of us who live free lives under the rule of law must
speak for those who have no voice. If that brings the anger of
China down upon me then I shall wear that as a badge of
honour.”

The EU, UK, Canada and US sanctioned several members of
Xinjiang’s political and economic hierarchy this week in a
coordinated action over allegations of widespread abuse in the
northwestern region.

– ‘Direct assault on democracy’ –
At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim
groups have been held in camps there, according to rights groups,
who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing
forced labour.

Conservative MPs Nusrat Ghani, Tim Loughton, Tom Tugendhat and
Neil O’Brien, and peers Helena Kennedy and David Alton, were also
on the list announced by China on Friday.

In a joint statement, Tugendhat and O’Brien called the sanctions
“profoundly sinister” for targeting elected lawmakers.

“As British legislators this will not actually affect us hugely,
but the point of Beijing’s actions is to make others feel
threatened, and to have a chilling effect on business people in
particular,” they said.

Tugendhat further told the BBC that the move was “a direct
assault on British democracy and an attempt to silence the people
that the British people have chosen to speak for them.”

Ghani told BBC radio that she “won’t be intimidated”.

“This is a wake-up call for all democratic countries and
lawmakers that we will not be able to conduct our day-to-day
business without China sanctioning us for just attempting to expose
what’s happening in Xinjiang.”

Organisers of a people’s tribunal in London into alleged abuses
against the Uyghurs said the sanctions would not affect its work or
ruling.

Britain’s government on Friday gave its full backing to British
lawmakers and others sanctioned by China for speaking out in
defence of the Uyghur Muslim minority.

“The MPs and other British citizens sanctioned by China today
are performing a vital role shining a light on the gross human
rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims,” Prime
Minister Boris Johnson tweeted.

“Freedom to speak out in opposition to abuse is fundamental and
I stand firmly with them.”

China announced sanctions against nine UK individuals and four
entities, saying they had “maliciously spread lies and
disinformation” over Beijing’s treatment of Uyghurs.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said China’s ambassador to London
would be summoned to state the government’s stance.

“We will explain in very clear terms the position both in
relation to the MPs and the other figures who have spoken out, but
also that we will not be silenced in speaking out about these human
rights abuses,” he added.

Raab called on Beijing to give the United Nations full access to
the region of Xinjiang if it wants to “credibly rebut claims of
human rights abuses”.

The sanctions would not stop the government or the individuals
targeted from “speaking up about the industrial-scale human rights
abuses that are taking place in Xinjiang”, he added.

He warned “international pressure will continue to grow” as long
as China resisted UN access to the region.

China’s last ambassador to London Liu Xiaoming left his post at
the end of January after 11 years in the position. His replacement,
Zheng Zeguang, is yet to be installed and is currently Beijing’s
vice-minister of foreign affairs.

Justice Minister Robert Buckland said “we strongly deprecate”
Beijing’s announcement, which also targeted a British law firm that
has taken up Uyghur rights causes.

Those sanctioned include Iain Duncan Smith, former leader of
Britain’s ruling Conservative party, along with four groups that
have been vocal in driving rights in Xinjiang and Hong Kong higher
up Westminster’s agenda.

Duncan Smith said it was “our duty to call out the Chinese
government’s human rights abuses in Hong Kong and their genocide of
the Uyghur people”.

“Those of us who live free lives under the rule of law must
speak for those who have no voice. If that brings the anger of
China down upon me then I shall wear that as a badge of
honour.”

The EU, UK, Canada and US sanctioned several members of
Xinjiang’s political and economic hierarchy this week in a
coordinated action over allegations of widespread abuse in the
northwestern region.

– ‘Direct assault on democracy’ –
At least one million Uyghurs and people from other mostly Muslim
groups have been held in camps there, according to rights groups,
who accuse authorities of forcibly sterilising women and imposing
forced labour.

Conservative MPs Nusrat Ghani, Tim Loughton, Tom Tugendhat and
Neil O’Brien, and peers Helena Kennedy and David Alton, were also
on the list announced by China on Friday.

In a joint statement, Tugendhat and O’Brien called the sanctions
“profoundly sinister” for targeting elected lawmakers.

“As British legislators this will not actually affect us hugely,
but the point of Beijing’s actions is to make others feel
threatened, and to have a chilling effect on business people in
particular,” they said.

Tugendhat further told the BBC that the move was “a direct
assault on British democracy and an attempt to silence the people
that the British people have chosen to speak for them.”

Ghani told BBC radio that she “won’t be intimidated”.

“This is a wake-up call for all democratic countries and
lawmakers that we will not be able to conduct our day-to-day
business without China sanctioning us for just attempting to expose
what’s happening in Xinjiang.”

Organisers of a people’s tribunal in London into alleged abuses
against the Uyghurs said the sanctions would not affect its work or
ruling.