Xinhua Commentary: Basing sanctions on lies, Washington is true human rights violator in Xinjiang
AseedingmachineequippedwiththeBeidouNavigationSatelliteSystemisatworkinacottonfieldinYuliCounty,northwestChina"sXinjiangUygurAutonomousRegion,March30,2023.(Xinhua/WangFei)
Washingtonisadeptatpursuingitsself-interestsbyimposingsanctionsagainstothers,oftenundertheguiseofhigh-soundingexcuses.Itisnodoubtthe"sanctionslord."
BEIJING,June13(Xinhua)--Onidentifyingwhoishinderingtheirstriveforbetterlives,theXinjianglocalshavemoresay.
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ReylaQahar,aworkeratKuchePomegranateSeedClothingCo.,Ltd,aspirestoimproveherlifethroughhardwork.Unfortunately,U.S.sanctionsinrecentyearsontheregion"scottonindustryhavedisruptedherplan.
TheU.S.bansplungedtheclothingcompanyintodifficulty.They"hadanadverseimpactonourcompany,"Qaharsaid.Ridiculously,thedamagingsanctionshavebeenimposedbyWashingtoninthenameofpromotinghumanrightsinXinjiang.AsQaharhaspointedout,itisWashingtonitselfthatis"violatingourhumanrightsandunderminingourhappylife."
StoriessimilartoQahar"sarenotuncommoninXinjiangasWashingtonhaslengtheneditssanctionlisttotargetmoreXinjiang-relatedcompaniesbeyondthecottonindustry.Thebusinessesaregroundlesslyaccusedofusingeither"forcedlabour"ormaterialsproducedby"forcedlabour"inXinjiang.OnFriday,underthesamepretext,WashingtonaddedtwomoreChinesecompanies,oneprintermakerandonechemicalscompany,toitshitlist.
TheactionstakenbyWashingtonarebasedonflagrantlies,ratherthanfactualevidence.Theallegationof"forcedlabor"inXinjiangiscompletelycontrarytoreality.InXinjiang,therightsandinterestsatworkofthepeopleofallethnicgroupsareeffectivelyprotected.
Washington"ssanctionsarebynomeansanefforttoprotecthumanrights.Instead,theulteriormotiveforthesanctionsistodefameChina,undermineprosperityandstabilityinXinjiang,andstifleChina"sdevelopmenttoservetheUnitedStates"hegemonicinterests.
Washingtonisadeptatpursuingitsself-interestsbyimposingsanctionsagainstothers,oftenundertheguiseofhigh-soundingexcuses.Itisnodoubtthe"sanctionslord."AccordingtoareportofTheWashingtonPost,theU.S.TreasuryDepartmentestimatedinlate2021thatithadsanctionson9,421organizationsandindividuals,aroughly900percentincreaseoverthepast20years.In2022,theTreasuryDepartmentadded2,549newdesignations.
ThisphototakenonJan.20,2023showstheU.S.DepartmentoftheTreasuryinWashington,D.C.,theUnitedStates.(Xinhua/LiuJie)
Thebulkofthosesanctionshasbeenimposedinthenameofprotectinghumanrights,yettheyhaveonlycausedhumanitariandisastersinnumerousregionsandcountries.
Foryears,WashingtonhasconsistentlyimposedillegalunilateralsanctionsonSyria,exacerbatingtheMiddleEasterncountry"seconomiccrisisanddevastatingthelivelihoodsofitspeople.InFebruary,Washington"ssanctionsdirectlyimpededtherescueeffortsinthefirst72hoursinSyriaafteradeadlyearthquake.
Xinjiangpresentsanothercase.LastJune,WashingtonsignedintolawtheUyghurForcedLaborPreventionAct,whichbrazenlypresumesthatallgoodsfromXinjianghavebeentaintedby"forcedlabor"andstipulatesthatthegoodswillbebannedfromexportingtotheUnitedStatesunlessimporterscanproveotherwise.
Thelegislationisaclearformofintimidation.AnycompanythathirespeoplefromXinjiangmayfallpreytotheact.Ratherthancombatting"forcedlabor,"thelawactuallyengenders"forcedunemployment"and"forcedpoverty."
Furthermore,ithasalsoattemptedtokickXinjiangoutoftheglobalindustrialandsupplychains,adefacto"forceddecoupling"fromChinathatwilldisruptinternationaleconomicandtradeorders.
Washingtonhasbeenviolatinghumanrightsunderthepretextofprotectinghumanrights,floutingruleswhilepurportingtoupholdthem,andbreakinglawswhilepretendingtosafeguardthem.Suchmovesgoagainstthetrendofthetimesandareultimatelydestinedtofail.
