The 50 signatories include the United States, Britain, Japan, France, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Guatemala and even Somalia.
They urged Beijing to “implement the recommendations of the OHCHR assessment” which include “taking prompt steps to release all individuals arbitrarily deprived of their liberty in Xinjiang, and to urgently clarify the fate and whereabouts of missing family members and facilitate safe contact and reunion”.
In early October, China managed to avoid a discussion of the OHCHR report at the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council after a majority of the body’s 47 members blocked the beginning of debate.
Human Rights Watch, an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), called on Monday for the UN Human Rights Council to “try again” to hold the debate “as soon as possible”.
“Clearly, diplomatic momentum in favor of holding Beijing accountable for its human rights violations is growing,” said the NGO’s UN director, Louis Charbonneau.
“Human Rights Watch is urging council members to attempt again at the earliest possible date to discuss and consider options for establishing a UN-backed mechanism to investigate further the Chinese government’s responsibility for human rights violations,” he added.