Rights advocates denounce UN event in China as Uyghur crisis worsens
Justice For All says ex-UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet’s China visit undermines global accountability over Uyghur persecution
CHICAGO, United States (MNTV) — A US-based human-rights organization has sharply criticized former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet for attending a Beijing conference on women’s empowerment while evidence of mass abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang continues to mount.
Justice For All’s Save Uyghur Campaign said Bachelet’s October 13–14 participation in the Global Leaders’ Meeting on Women, co-hosted by UN Women and China’s government, reflected “a continued pattern of prioritizing optics over accountability.”
The group noted the irony of celebrating women’s rights in a country accused of widespread gender-based violence against Uyghur women, including forced sterilization, sexual assault, and separation of families. It cited UN documents and independent investigations such as the 2021 Uyghur Tribunal report, which found sterilization rates among the highest globally.
Survivor testimonies, including that of Gulbahar Jelilova — a former detainee who described forced injections and sexual humiliation — have long detailed systematic abuse inside Xinjiang’s detention network.
“Uyghur women have borne the brunt of this genocide,” said Hena Zuberi, advocacy director at Justice For All, adding that victims face enslavement, forced marriage, and the trauma of separation from their children. “This is what Bachelet and UN Women should be investigating, not celebrating.”
During the Beijing meeting, Chinese officials publicly hailed Bachelet as “a friend of the Chinese people.” She praised the event’s success and echoed official language on “a shared future for humanity,” comments that, according to the campaign, showed her continued willingness to engage on Beijing’s terms without addressing ongoing repression.
“By attending an event hosted by the Chinese Communist Party instead of using the opportunity to demand accountability, Michelle Bachelet once again chose symbolism over substance,” said Arslan Hidayat, team lead for the campaign.
Justice For All also criticized Bachelet’s record as UN rights chief, noting that her long-delayed 2022 report on Xinjiang confirmed crimes against humanity but came only as she left office. The group urged UN member states to oppose her potential candidacy for Secretary-General, arguing that her silence on Uyghur abuses “disqualifies her from leading the organization.”
“Rewarding Bachelet after years of silence would insult the victims she failed,” said Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid, president of Justice For All.
The Save Uyghur Campaign reaffirmed its commitment to seeking accountability for China’s actions and called on governments and international bodies to ensure that future UN leadership upholds transparency and moral integrity in confronting genocide and crimes against humanity.
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