Official visit from Xinjiang

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is concerned about the plans of the British government and the EU to invite the governor of Xinjiang / East Turkestan for talks: “Erkin Tuniyaz himself is partly responsible for the crimes that the Communist Party of China is committing against the Uyghur people,” stated Jasna Causevic, STP expert on genocide prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, in Göttingen. “Under no circumstances should anyone roll out the red carpet for this person. On the contrary: he should be arrested immediately.”

After the plans regarding the governor’s visit to Europe had become known, the STP had appealed to German Federal Prosecutor Dr. Peter Frank to consider such steps. “Based on the so-called principle of universal jurisdiction, the German authorities could follow up on the most serious crimes – even if they are not directly related to Germany,” Causevic stated. “By now, nobody is denying that such crimes are being committed in Xinjiang. Thus, the Federal Prosecutor could – and should – start investigating against Mr. Tuniyaz. Also, it would be necessary to establish exchange with the British and the Belgian authorities.”

According to the plans that have become known so far, Erkin Tuniyaz will be visiting Europe at the invitation of the British Foreign Office. “First, he will meet up with ‘stakeholders’ in London. Then, he will be expected in Brussels from February 19 to 21. Up front, British human rights organizations had been invited to a discussion about the visit – probably to avoid protests. The organizations with which the STP is in contact are planning to boycott this discussion.