Uyghurs Address UK PM Johnson with Strong Words After He Blocked Genocide Bill
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In the letter to the British leader, President of World Uyghur Congress compared Mr. Johnson's resistance to Genocide Bill to spitting in the victims' face.
In the first days of February House of Lords with the majority of 177 passed a revised version of the Genocide Amendment. The law would allow the UK High Court to make a decision on trade deals with countries accused of genocide. Most importantly, the bill aimed to raise awareness over the plight of Uyghurs persecuted by Chinese Communist Party.
But the Prime Minister Johnson's government defeated the bill that would give the UK courts powers to rule on whether a foreign country is committing genocide. The case will now not be invested in the UK domestic courts, marking a milestone in the collapse of government respect for domestic and international human rights.
President of World Uyghur Congress Mr. Dolkun, in the letter to Mr. Johnson, expressed his shock and appallment of the UK government's rejection.
The Owner obtained the copy of the letter that was sent on Feb 6, 2021.
"Why are you doing to us? So the actions of your government in tabling this amendment
are tantamount to spitting into the faces of Uyghurs survivors."
We know that it is long-standing policy for the UK to refuse to use the word “genocide” without a court decision, and that this policy is not going to change. So the actions of your government in tabling this amendment are tantamount to spitting into the faces of Uyghurs survivors, the letter said.
Mr. Dolkun urged Mr. Johnson to reconsider his action and to give Uyghurs their day in court.
The modified Genocide amendment has been tabled by Lord Alton of Liverpool.
Lord Alton said he proposed the amendment precisely because the government wouldn’t act without a court’s determination.
This genocide amendment has its origins in 2016, when despite Parliament passing a motion on genocidal crimes against Yazidis and other minorities, the government refused to accept it, because a court had not made the declaration, he said. The all-party genocide amendment remedies a circular argument.