NEW YORK: Tahir Imin, an exiled Uyghur rights activist on Monday urged the Biden administration to take action against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the “genocide“, reported New York Post.
Imin, who as an Uyghur has experienced China’s systemic abuse firsthand, told New York Post that: “We cannot say it’s the cultural norm of a people — but it’s the norm of the Chinese Communist Party.”
“The Chinese Communist Party should be accused of that and be accountable for that,” he said.
US President Joe Biden earlier in February during a CNN town hall conference had commented about Beijing’s horrific treatment of Uyghur Muslims terming it not just part of “a different norm”.
“Culturally, there are different norms that each country and their leaders are expected to follow,” told Biden.
Biden has restricted himself on Xi Jinping’s belligerent actions when asked about the conversation with his Chinese counterpart.
President Biden continued in his response that he is “not going to speak out against” the Chinese Communist Party’s belligerent actions in Hong Kong, against the Uyghurs, or in Taiwan, but did say that he would “reflect the values of the United States.”
“I point out to him no American President can be sustained as a President if he doesn’t reflect the values of the United States,” the US President continued. “And so the idea that I am not going to speak out against what he’s doing in Hong Kong, what he’s doing with the Uyghurs in western mountains of China and Taiwan — trying to end the one-China policy by making it forceful … [Xi] gets it.”
Though he said that “there will be repercussions for China,” Biden didn’t detail what those would be other than saying America would, “reassert our role as spokespersons for human rights at the UN and other agencies”, reported VOA.
Reacting to it, Imin warned that “just criticising” the CCP “wouldn’t be enough.”
“Any country [that] believes that China committed genocide, they shouldn’t do business with China, because China did commit genocide against Uyghur people,” Imin said.
He suggested that the US boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing — and also said America “should lead a coalition” of international allies to “stop the Uyghur genocide.”
“There should be a coalition against the Chinese Communist Party, of course, but the most important thing for us as an Uyghur, we believe that without international effort, one country cannot stop it.”
Asked what would happen if the global community doesn’t take action, Imin said: “I think we are at the brink of extinction.”
“If the international [community] stands up for us and save us from this genocide, Uyghurs will never forget this,” he said.
“We need help,” he added. “It is true, it’s urgent.”