A long-awaited U.N. report on China’s treatment of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang concluded that the nation may have committed crimes against humanity. U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachele published the report Wednesday in the final minutes of her four-year term. She had previously been criticized by some human rights groups for being too moderate on China after a visit to the country in May. In the new 48-page report, the U.N. Human Rights Office said “serious human rights violations have been committed” in Xinjiang as part of “the government's application of counter-terrorism and counter-’extremism’ strategies.” It added: “The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups… may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity.” Responding to the report Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin called the U.N. document “completely illegal and void.” The U.S. has called China's treatment of Uyghurs a genocide.
