GENEVA –

China is asking the UN human rights chief to bury a long-awaited report on human rights abuses in Xinjiang, according to a Chinese letter seen by Reuters and confirmed by diplomats from three countries who told it. have received.

UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet was harshly criticized by civil society for being too soft on China during a visit in May and has since said she would refrain from seeking a second term for personal reasons.

But before her departure at the end of August, she pledged to publish a report in the western region of Xinjiang in China. Rights groups accuse Beijing of abuses against Uyghur residents in Xinjiang, including the massive use of forced labor in internment camps. China has vigorously denied these allegations.

The Chinese-drafted letter expresses “serious concern” about the Xinjiang report and seeks to halt its publication, said four sources – the three diplomats and a rights expert who all spoke on condition of anonymity. They said China started circulating it among diplomatic missions in Geneva from late June and asked countries to sign it to show their support.

“The assessment (on Xinjiang), if published, will intensify the politicization and confrontation of blocs in the field of human rights, undermine the credibility of the OHCHR (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) and will harm cooperation between OHCHR and Member States,” the letter read, referring to Bachelet’s office.

“We urge the High Commissioner not to publish such an assessment.”

Liu Yuyin, spokesman for the Chinese diplomatic mission in Geneva, did not say whether the letter had been sent or respond to questions about its content.

Liu said nearly 100 countries had recently expressed their support for China on Xinjiang-related issues “and their objection to interfering in China’s internal affairs under the guise of human rights.”

This support was expressed in public statements during the last session of the UN Human Rights Council, which ended on July 8, and in the “joint letter”, Liu added, using a term referring to China and the other signatories.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told Reuters Bachelet would have witnessed a ‘real Xinjiang with a safe and stable society’ when she visited the region during her May trip to China. .

The spokesperson said attempts by some countries to “smear China’s image” using the Xinjiang issue would not succeed.

It was unclear whether Bachelet had received the letter, and an OHCHR spokesperson declined to comment on the matter.

The Xinjiang report is being finalized before its public release, he added, saying this includes the common practice of sharing a copy with China for comment.

The report is expected to address China’s treatment of its Uighur minority. A team of rights experts began gathering evidence more than three years ago, but its release has been delayed for months for unclear reasons.

Reuters was unable to establish how many signatures the letter received. One of the four sources, a Geneva-based diplomat, responded positively to the letter, giving his country’s support.

Another version of the letter also seen by Reuters was more critical of Bachelet’s actions, saying the Xinjiang report was written “without a warrant and in serious breach of OHCHR’s duties”, and would undermine his personal credibility. .

It was not clear who edited it or why. The diplomat who signed the letter said the softer version was the final version.

Direct lobbying

China, like other countries, sometimes seeks support for its policy statements at the Geneva-based Human Rights Council through diplomatic notes that others are asked to support.

These can sometimes influence the decisions of the 47-member Council, whose actions are not legally binding but can authorize investigations into alleged violations.

Two of the Geneva diplomats said China’s letter represents a rare example of evidence that Beijing is seeking to pressure Bachelet directly. Sometimes, they say, countries find it difficult to say no to China on human rights issues, given the close economic ties.

The memo comes at a critical time for the UN human rights body in the final weeks of Bachelet’s tenure, with no successor named yet. Bachelet, 70, is due to leave office on August 31.