HRC41: Oral Statement during General Debate on Item 4

Agenda Item 4:General Debate

Organisation: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker: Elaine Hanlon

Thank you Mr President,

CSW remains concerned by the situation of religious minorities in China. In Xinjiang, it is estimated that over one million people from predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities have been detained without charge in so-called ‘political re-education’ camps since 2017.

Christians are also targeted across the country. Both registered and unregistered churches face harassment, surveillance and increasing restrictions on religious practice.

We call on China to allow all UN Special Procedures unhindered access to Xinjiang, and to immediately release all those detained in connection with their religion or belief.

In Sudan, we are concerned that the Transitional Military Council (TMC) has refused to hand over power to a civilian-led transitional authority.

We call on the Council to adopt a resolution requesting the High Commissioner for Human Rights to create a fact-finding mechanism to monitor, verify and report on the situation in Sudan, with a mandate to identify human rights violators.

We also wish to draw the Council’s attention to India, following a rise in intimidation and harassment of religious minorities by Hindu extremists, who are emboldened further by speeches from government officials inciting religious intolerance.

CSW calls on the Indian government to counter the spread of religious intolerance and hate speech, and to expressly condemn all forms of communal and targeted violence against religious minorities.

Finally, in Vietnam, we are concerned by reports of the ill-treatment, including torture, of prisoners of conscience, many of whom have been detained in connection with defending fundamental human rights.

We call on Vietnam to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience, including Nguyen Bac Truyen and Nguyen Van Hoa, and to ensure that no-one is subject to torture or other human rights violations in detention.

Thank you