Canada
Canada’s Parliament has recognised an ongoing Genocide against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, with a motion co-sponsored by IPAC co-chair Garnett Genuis MP approved by 266 votes to 0. IPAC members have called for targeted sanctions on Chinese government officials in response to the declaration. Full story here.
European Parliament
A cross-party letter led by IPAC members Anna Fotyga MEP and Miriam Lexmann MEP urged corporate sponsors of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics to drop their support for the games and call for a venue change in recognition of China’s human rights violations in Hong Kong, Tibet and Xinjiang.
Germany
IPAC co-chair Margarete Bause MdB called for German car manufacturer Volkswagen to move production away from China’s Xinjiang province, after reports have linked the company to the region’s forced labour supply chains.
Gyde Jensen MdB, IPAC member and chair of the Bundestag Human Rights Committee received a report from the Interior Ministry detailing Chinese state intimidation of exiled Hong Kong residents in Germany.
The Netherlands
The Dutch Parliament voted to approve a motion co-sponsored by IPAC co-chairs Martijn van Helvert MP and Henk Krol MP on declaring China’s treatment of Uighurs as a Genocide, the first European parliament to have done so.
New Zealand
IPAC co-chair Louisa Wall MP has led calls for New Zealand to introduce modern slavery legislation to prevent the import of goods tainted by forced labour supply chains in Xinjiang and elsewhere in China.
United Kingdom
The revised ‘genocide amendment’ to the UK Trade Bill proposed by IPAC member Lord Alton defeated the government in the House of Lords with overwhelming cross party support. If passed by the House of Commons, the amendment would see panels of British judges ruling on cases of alleged genocide. Full story here.
