Backbench Business

Stresses that the Government have a legal and moral duty to respond to the Uyghur Tribunal’s verdict. She discusses evidence of genocide, mass rapes, torture, and abuses in Xinjiang, including a massive drop in Uyghur birth rates and forced abortions. Emphasises the need for import controls, sanctions against perpetrators like Chen Quanguo, and due diligence to ensure British firms are not complicit.

China has committed genocide against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang, as concluded by the Uyghur Tribunal. The Government must unequivocally accept these findings and address the serious risk of genocide facing Uyghurs. Financial institutions such as HSBC should be prohibited from investing in entities perpetrating human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The responsibility lies with both financial institutions and individuals to ensure complicity is not enabled, through actions like pension fund divestment and scrutiny of corporate partnerships.

Decries the abuse of human rights in China, particularly against Uyghurs. Calls for more sanctions on Chinese officials and emphasises the importance of acknowledging the genocide findings. Criticises the Government's lack of action regarding UK taxpayers' money being used to fund a report on critics of China. Supports measures like the business restrictions introduced by the government but argues they do not go far enough.

Congratulates the hon. Member for Wealden on securing the debate, expresses support for the Uyghur people, criticises the government's inaction, references a quote from Elie Wiesel about the silence of bystanders, cites irrefutable evidence provided by the tribunal, describes the horrific conditions faced by Uyghurs including forced sterilisation and cultural assimilation, calls on the UK to clean up supply chains, mentions concerns over data collection by Chinese companies like ByteDance and Huawei, urges the government to declare a genocide and legislate against complicit trade.

Congratulates Nusrat Ghani on securing the debate, highlights the plight of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, emphasises the importance of addressing human rights violations globally, criticises the UK Government for not leading the way against China's actions, calls for an urgent assessment by the government to determine if genocide is taking place, and lists individuals who should be sanctioned.

I commend the tremendous work of the BEIS Committee. The Government’s response to the genocide taking place in Xinjiang has fallen woefully short, and there is a moral duty to speak out against these egregious abuses. I have heard harrowing testimony from Uyghurs and their family members, highlighting forced labour, detention, sterilisation, denouncement of religion, sexual abuse, rape, and torture by the Chinese Government. The Uyghur Tribunal found that the Chinese Government are perpetrating genocide, crimes against humanity and torture against the Uyghurs. I urge the Minister to heed this judgment and take steps to ban imports from Xinjiang.

The Chinese Communist party is committing genocide against the Uyghurs, as ruled by an independent jury of experts in London. The Government must conduct an urgent assessment of this genocide to fulfill their UN obligations on preventing it. Forced sterilisation, forced transfer of children, and hard-labour camps are targeted at destroying the Uyghur way of life. Evidence includes forced organ harvesting from young adults for profit. China's growing influence makes speaking out harder but necessary. The Government should realign relationships with democracies worldwide to address this issue, starting by supporting a motion for an assessment of the genocide.

The Uyghur Tribunal's findings confirm that the People’s Republic of China is committing crimes against humanity and genocide in Xinjiang. Despite other countries like the US, Canada, Lithuania, and the Netherlands recognising these atrocities, there has been zero progress from the UK Government. The evidence includes arbitrary detention, re-education camps, forced labour, destruction of cultural sites, torture, rape, sexual violence, enforced sterilisation, and abortions of late-term pregnancies. Chris Law calls for immediate action by the UK Government to condemn these acts and suggests reciprocal access measures like denying Chinese officials entry to the UK if they restrict others' access to Tibet. He also urges sanctions against perpetrators such as Chen Quanguo and supports the Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act passed in the USA.

Challenges Chris Law's suggestion that sanctioned MPs are fearful of traveling to China or being subject to Chinese Communist party actions. However, no detailed argument is provided beyond this intervention.

I pay tribute to the hon. Member for Wealden (Ms Ghani) for securing this vital debate and her willingness to work across the House in standing up against the genocide taking place against the Uyghur in Xinjiang. The evidence of genocide is compelling, with mass surveillance, arbitrary detention, torture, rape, forced sterilisation, enforced separation of children from parents, denial of religious practices, and a significant decrease in birth rates since 2017. Despite this, the UK Government continues to refuse to rule on genocide as required by their legal obligations under the 1948 Genocide Convention. I urge the Minister to update the House on progress with Magnitsky sanctions, building support for UN access to Xinjiang, and strengthening section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act.

So far, the speeches in this important debate have been disturbing, powerful and heartfelt. There is clearly cross-party support for the motion. I thank the hon. Member for Wealden (Ms Ghani) for securing the debate and for responding to the recent tribunal judgment, and I thank every other Member who has spoken. The Uyghur Tribunal found it ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that the Chinese Government were perpetrating genocide, crimes against humanity and torture against the Uyghurs. In April 2020, this House unanimously agreed to a motion declaring that Uyghurs in Xinjiang were suffering crimes against humanity and genocide. However, since then the Government have not done enough to push back against the atrocities. I implore and encourage them to recognise these atrocities and breaches of the United Nations convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, and play a leading role. Democracy is in retreat across the globe, but the Government must be rock solid in their commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

I congratulate the hon. Member for Wealden (Ms Ghani) on securing today’s debate, and I commend her and the right hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Sir Iain Duncan Smith), who is no longer in his place, for their very powerful contributions. The tribunal’s judgment vindicates what the Uyghur people have been telling us for far too long. Beyond reasonable doubt, the Uyghurs have been persecuted and subjected to torture, rape and sexual violence, forced sterilisation, forced labour and murder by the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The UK Government must reject those assertions from China in the strongest possible terms. We must provide some assurances and show our support. I say without hesitation that the Uyghur people have my support. What concrete, measurable steps will the Government take to protect the rights of the Uyghur people? Will the Government join allies such as the US in calling this exactly what it is?

I thank the hon. Member for Wealden for setting the scene so well and express gratitude to all who contributed to the debate. The situation in Xinjiang is a grave violation of human rights with forced sterilisations, labour camps, rape, brainwashing and organ harvesting being reported. Urgent action must be taken by the UK Government to push for a UN mechanism to collect evidence of atrocities against Uyghurs and other minorities. Sanctions should also be imposed on Chinese officials involved in such crimes. The debate is not only about Uyghurs but also Tibetans, Christians, Falun Gong practitioners who face severe persecution. China must be held accountable for its actions and the UK must act swiftly to condemn these practices.

Mr O'Hara pays tribute to the hon. Member for Wealden for her work on Uyghur rights and raises serious concerns about the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang based on the findings of the Uyghur Tribunal. He questions the Government's response, calls for blacklisting UK firms trading in goods produced using slave labour, and urges Magnitsky sanctions against those involved in atrocities. Additionally, he suggests a UN Human Rights Council motion to investigate the situation and supports stepping up diplomatic efforts such as boycotting international events like the Olympics.

The debate highlights cross-party agreement on the issue of Uyghur persecution, including forced labour, separation of children from parents, denial of religious freedom, rape, torture, and sterilisation. We have previously called for an urgent response to this situation and voted in favour of recognising the plight of Uyghurs. The debate seeks practical action from the Government on reviewing previous recommendations and responding to new evidence.

Acknowledged the contributions from Members and emphasised the Government's close monitoring of the situation in Xinjiang, highlighting actions such as asset freezes and travel bans on Chinese officials. Stated that the UK has led international efforts to hold China accountable at the UN through diplomatic statements.

Asked why the Government refused to give evidence for the tribunal report despite welcoming it, seeking clarity on the discrepancy.

Pressed the Minister for a response on blacklisting firms exploiting British customers and questioned why the Government quibbled over legal obligations instead of addressing human rights abuses directly.

Contributed to the debate but no specific position or speech was provided in the given text.