Munich (Germany) (AFP)

A Munich-based Uyghur minority advocacy group on Thursday urged the IOC to reconsider holding the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over what it calls "genocide" against the Muslim minority. China.

In an open letter to the President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, the World Uyghur Congress (WUC) accused China of "committing genocide, crimes against humanity and torture" against the Uyghur minority and of other minorities in the northwestern province of Xinjiang.

"We have so far been very disappointed that the IOC has not addressed the human rights situation in China since it granted Beijing the right to host the 2022 Winter Olympics" , lamented Dolkun Isa, president of the WUC and signatory of the letter.

"It is deeply worrying that the IOC, as an international organization with strict ethical rules, has failed to recognize China's human rights record, given the international crimes currently being committed in the region. Uyghur, as well as in China in general, "he adds.

The United States recently took sanctions against several Chinese leaders accused of repressing the Uyghur minority, while Britain and France denounced practices that China rejects.

Uyghurs constitute almost half of the population of Xinjiang. The vast majority are Muslims, most of them speak a Turkic language (from the same family as Turkish) but not necessarily Chinese.

Experts and human rights organizations accuse Beijing of interning up to a million Muslims, mainly of Uyghur ethnicity, in camps in the region in the name of the fight against terrorism.

China denies this figure and claims that these people are taken to vocational training centers, intended to help them find jobs in order to keep them away from the temptation of extremism.

The WUC also clarified that it "still has not received an official response or information" from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after appealing to the Swiss-based institution in February for a decision on the hosting of the Games by China.

The IOC "remains neutral on all global political issues", for his part recalled a spokesperson for the body.

"For the Beijing-2022 Winter Olympics, the IOC Evaluation Commission respects the views of independent NGOs on many subjects, including human rights," it also continued. source.

"We will continue to discuss matters related to the Games, when necessary, with the organizers, as part of the process of preparing for the Games", concluded the IOC spokesperson.

Beijing, which hosted the 2008 Olympics, is expected to be the first city to host both summer and winter Olympics.

© 2020 AFP