In XUAR there likely remain hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs who are subjected to arbitrary detention and enforced disappearance through the legal system. In 2022, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) urged China to immediately release all individuals arbitrarily detained. Language discrimination In contradiction to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in XUAR Mandarin has displaced Uyghur in various areas. The authorities argue they introduce a “bilingual system”, but in practice a monolingual system is being imposed. According to credible reports, schools must ban the use of Uyghur language in “collective activities, public activities and management work of the education system” and “correct the flawed method of providing Uyghur language training to Chinese language teachers”. In this context, I would recommend the following: Urge China: 1) Release all those arbitrarily detained in the “re-education” camps and clarify the whereabouts, condition and fate of missing family members and arrange safe contacts and reunions. 2) Ratify the ILO standards for compulsory labour, and to honour its commitments to the ILO’s Convention, 3) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and (CERD). 4) Investigate all the cases of sexual assault allegations in “re-education” camps and bring the perpetrators to justice. 5) End the practice of enforced disappearance, which gravely impacts some of the core rights articulated in the UDHR 6) Investigate all reported disappearances in accordance to its international obligations 7) Amend the revised Criminal Procedure Law in line with international legal standards to prevent enforced disappearances. To UN organisations: 8) UN HRC take necessary steps to establish a Commission of Inquiry to independently examine the treatment of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples in XUAR. 9) UNESCO investigate cases of destruction or marginalisation of natural and cultural heritage. 10) Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief investigate alleged violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief. I thank you, Madame Chair!

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