Xinjiang Internment Camps: Shoot-to-Kill Policy Debate

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Department: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Xinjiang Internment Camps: Shoot-to-Kill Policy

Naz Shah Excerpts
Tuesday 24th May 2022

(2 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Amanda Milling Portrait Amanda Milling
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As the Foreign Secretary made very clear in her statement this morning, if access is not forthcoming, the visit will serve only to highlight China’s attempts to hide the truth and its actions. We have been absolutely clear that unfettered access is essential.

Naz Shah Portrait Naz Shah (Bradford West) (Lab)
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There are cases where a man has been jailed for almost 17 years because the Chinese state determined his beard to be illegal and where someone has been jailed for having studied Islamic scriptures with his grandmother. We have now been made aware of reports that machine guns and snipers have been placed with orders to shoot to kill anyone, from the almost 2 million prisoners, who tries to escape those camps. What we are seeing in Xinjiang are Muslims being denied their Muslimness and the most grotesque and extreme versions of Islamophobia. Does the Minister agree that the latest revelations demonstrate the need for the British Government to take action and sanction Chinese officials involved in the human rights abuses in Xinjiang?

Amanda Milling Portrait Amanda Milling
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What we are seeing is truly shocking and adds to the body of evidence. We have been holding officials to account, and we have sanctioned senior officials and organisations, but we keep all the evidence and potential listings under review and I cannot speculate about future sanctions.