Australia, US ‘playing down’ living hell in Gaza: China

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - China has criticized Australia and the US, among others, over “playing down” the living hell in Gaza, slamming the “new lows” of double standards by the Western nations and their allies.

Reacting to a statement delivered by Australia on behalf of its 14 allies, including the US, regarding Xinjiang and Tibet, Beijing’s UN Ambassador Fu Cong told a committee meeting that it was an attempt at “unleashing attacks and smears against the peaceful and tranquil” northwestern province of China, home to the ethnic Uyghur community.

“We urge China to uphold the international human rights obligations that it has voluntarily assumed, and to implement all UN recommendations,” Fu’s Australian counterpart James Larsen told the UN General Assembly’s human rights committee in New York on Tuesday.

Beijing has faced a closer scrutiny of alleged human rights abuses of Uyghurs which China has rejected.

“Australia and the US, among a few others, played down this living hell. … They are reaching new lows in the practice of double standards in front of the whole world,” Fu retorted, according to a readout of his statement.

The Chinese ambassador doubled down on demand for a cease-fire and an end to the fighting in conflict areas “as soon as possible.”

“We firmly oppose the hegemonic acts of a few Western countries, who are fanning the flames to escalate and spread the conflicts,” said Fu, claiming that the UN human rights report on Xinjiang released two years ago was “purely a product of coercion” by the US.

“The human rights situation that should gather the most attention ... is undoubtedly that of Gaza,” he said.

Charging Australia and the US for “politicizing” human rights, Fu said: “The intentions of Australia and the US to use human rights as a pretext …(are) to broadly suppress developing countries that adhere to an independent and autonomous foreign policy.” 

He said the killing of more than 42,700 Palestinians, starvation, and the displacement of millions of women and children in Gaza have been “not enough to awaken the conscience” of a few Western countries so “their so-called protection of human rights of Muslims is nothing but the biggest lie.”