An article by Gerald Mbanda, a journalist from the African paper New Times, published an article titled “Why African Countries Support China Against the West on Human Rights,” in Africa-China Review. Mbanda writes that China has rejected U.S. claims about the Muslim Uighur population in Xinjiang and have refused to sign on to UN rebukes of China’s alleged human rights violations there. “Accusations against China of forced labour, forced sterilization, torture and genocide in Xinjiang region are wild allegations that are far from the reality according to African diplomats,” Mbanda writes. “In March, several African ambassadors accredited to China met in Beijing for the 7th ambassador lecture under the theme ‘Xinjiang in the Eyes of Africa Ambassadors to China.’ The African ambassadors observed that Western countries are hyping Xinjiang issues intentionally to attack China’s internal affairs as well as undermining China’s development.”
The article goes on that China had to impose tough measures against terrorism when there was a major upsurge in terrorist attacks.. But the West, which uses anti-terrorist measures when they are attacked, considers measures taken by other countries as human rights violations. He also writes how the gaggle of U.S. human rights organizations like Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are continually used to intimidate countries that are perceived as a threat to imperial interests. “Africans have not yet forgotten the brutality and untold human rights violations inflicted on the African people during the slave trade and colonialism. Their resources were stolen in broad daylight by the same people who turn around and claim to lecture the world about human rights,” Mbanda wrote.
