China: UN High Commissioner assures that her visit to Xinjiang "was not an investigation"
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet during a videoconference with China's Minister of Public Security on May 24, 2022 in Guangzhou.
PA
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
As her six-day visit to China draws to a close, the UN human rights chief, who returned from Xinjiang on Saturday, held an online press conference repeating that her trip "
was not not an investigation
.
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With our correspondent in Beijing,
Stéphane Lagarde
This press conference in the presence of foreign correspondents and Chinese state media was obviously eagerly awaited.
We wanted to know more
about this whirlwind visit
which led Michelle Bachelet to cross China twice from east to west, flying from Canton to Kashgar for meetings with various actors, including the Xinjiang authorities.
This trip was not an investigation, repeated the UN human rights chief three times, but the opportunity to raise questions directly with the Chinese authorities, including that of the "disappeared" and victims of detention. arbitrary.
“
I am aware of the large number of people who are looking for information about their loved ones.
I heard from many families before this visit, and this was part of the questions submitted to the authorities.
I cannot go into details because we have to protect those concerned, but we have raised many cases and very important cases
, ”assured Michelle Bachelet.
The High Commissioner does not use the word repression, she gives no names, few places outside the Kashgar prison to which she went, but she assures us that interviews chosen by her delegation
took place without oversight
.
Will these exchanges be added to the highly anticipated UN report on human rights in Xinjiang?
No, repeats Michelle Bachelet again, "
this trip was not an investigation
", which the Chinese side had requested before accepting his arrival.
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