“We call for thorough and impartial investigations of all crimes against indigenous people, especially children,” Jiang said, citing the initial findings of the cemeteries of indigenous peoples believed to be unmarked last month. Child remains adjacent to former Kamloops boarding school.

Jiang Zemin delivered a speech on behalf of a group of countries including Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela.

He speaks before Leslie E. Norton, Canadian Ambassador to Geneva and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Statement on behalf of 44 countries Call on China to allow independent observers including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to “immediately, meaningfully and unrestrictedly enter” Xinjiang.

“We are seriously concerned about the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,” Norton said.

“Reliable reports indicate that more than one million people in Xinjiang have been arbitrarily detained, and that extensive surveillance has disproportionately targeted Uyghurs and members of other ethnic minorities, and restricts fundamental freedoms and Uyghur culture.”

She cited reports about “torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, forced sterilization, sexual and gender-based violence, and the authorities forcing children to separate from their parents”.

Preemptive statement

Norton issued a statement on behalf of a group of countries including Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States.

China’s statement at the United Nations appears to be intended to prevent Canada and its allies from renewing their call for the United Nations to gain free and unrestricted access to Xinjiang in order to investigate reported abuses of Uyghurs.

It is estimated that China has detained approximately 1 to 2 million Uyghurs in what the Chinese government calls “re-education centers”.

Earlier this year, an independent legal analysis published by the Raoul Wallenberg Center for Human Rights in Montreal and a think tank in Washington concluded that China is implementing ongoing genocide Oppose the Muslim minority in Xinjiang.

Several Canadian human rights experts contributed to the report, including former cabinet ministers Lloyd Axworthy, Alan Rock and Owen Kotler, and former ambassador to the United Nations Yves Fortier.

Canada recognizes injustice to indigenous people

This is not the first time China has accused Canada of treating indigenous peoples. Generally, whenever Canada expresses concern about human rights violations in China, China will put pressure on Canada.

In October, Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations Bob Ray responded to comments made by representatives of Syria and China.

“They said,’Well, you see, the aboriginals in Canada have a big problem. There is a big injustice to the aboriginals, so you have no right to talk about the tragedies of Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, or hundreds of people. Thousands. People died in Syria, or the tragedy of millions of Syrian refugees. I respectfully disagree,” Ray said.

Rae took note of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s 2017 speech at the United Nations. He admitted that Canada had failed the indigenous people and reiterated his government’s commitment to reconciliation.

“We set up an accountability committee. We set up a truth and reconciliation committee. Where is the truth and reconciliation committee in China? Where is the truth and reconciliation committee in Syria?” Lei said.