Cross-party group asks Government to condemn Chinese oppression of Uighur people

A cross-section of 20 Oireachtas members have signed a letter to the Government asking them to condemn the Chinese Government’s oppression of  Uighur Muslims in the west of the country.

The letter was organised by the leader of Aontu, Peadar Toibin.

The letter asks the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs that Ireland would “immediately condemn the barbaric measures being used by the Chinese Government to slash the Uighur Muslim population in China”.

“The campaign has been labelled a ‘demographic genocide’ by international experts. We are deeply concerned about the ‘detention camps’ to which women are being sent if they have more than the ‘permitted’ number of children.”

It adds that news outlets are now reporting that China has subjected “hundreds of thousands of women” to forced pregnancy tests, forced birth control, sterilisation and forced abortions.

“We are deeply concerned at drone footage that shows hundreds of men and women being led blindfolded onto trains. We are very concerned at reports of men and women being detained without charge or conviction for indefinite lengths of time in ‘thought transformation camps’”.

It concludes with a direct appeal to “urgently intervene and make Ireland’s opposition to this torture known”.