Muslim world fails China test

Islamic nations, including Indonesia, have brought shame on themselves by siding with Beijing to scupper what was expected to be a crucial UN Human Rights Council debate on the plight of China’s Uighur Muslim minority. The broader issue after last Thursday’s bizarre decision by the 47-member UNHRC, by 19 votes to 17, not to go ahead with the debate may be the astonishing unwillingness of what claims to be the world’s peak human rights watchdog to even discuss its own report on what China is doing to the Uighurs. Without backing for China by Indonesia, Pakistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the motion for a debate on the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights’ published report on the appalling atrocities being committed against the Uighurs would not have been lost. China would not have been able to trumpet the major diplomatic victory for itself and its handling of the Uighur issue that it is claiming. It is no surprise that it is doing so. The long-delayed report by outgoing UNHRC chief Michelle Bachelet was a searing indictment of abuses committed by Beijing. It could not have been more condemnatory. It outlined possible crimes against humanity by the Chinese state.

The report enraged Beijing. After it was published, China waged a fierce campaign to undermine and discredit it. High noon for China in the controversy was going to be last Thursday’s debate in Geneva. The incomprehensible decision by the UNHRC to not even discuss its own report by its own former head means, incredibly, that it won’t be discussed at all, much less acted on. The UNHRC has supinely caved in and done what Beijing wanted.

As egregious as its failure over the Uighur report is, however, no less shocking is the pitiful unwillingness of Islamic nations to stand up to China over the plight of their fellow Muslim Uighurs. In a mealy-mouthed explanation of his country’s support for China’s opposition to any debate, Indonesian ambassador Febrian Ruddyard insisted “country-specific initiatives that do not enjoy the consent and support of the concerned countries” would not result in any “meaningful progress” on human rights. Without China’s consent, a debate would not be worthwhile. Hence Jakarta’s senseless decision to support Beijing. As with other UNHRC members that voted with China, Indonesia’s pusillanimous backing for Beijing probably had more to do with nervousness causing offence and subservience to China’s notorious Belt and Road Initiative debt diplomacy. By doing so Indonesia placed itself on a dishonour roll that includes lackeys such as Cuba, Venezuela and Nepal together with Pakistan, Qatar and the UAE.

What was on display, yet again, was confirmation that when it comes to speaking up for the human rights of Muslims, Islamic nations cannot be relied on to do the right thing. China stands accused, by no less than the UNHRC’s own reporting, of committing the most horrifying atrocities and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. Yet, as is invariably the case, it is the Western democracies, not proud Muslim nations, that are in the forefront of bringing the attention of the world to their plight. Nowhere was the Muslim nations’ hypocrisy demonstrated more clearly than last March when at the summit of foreign ministers of the peak global Islamic body, the 57-nation Organisation of Islamic Co-operation, pride of place was given by the Pakistani hosts to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. There was silence about the plight of the Uighurs. Australia is not currently a sitting member of the UNHRC. But it was among the small group of countries that called for the debate to be held. It was right to express deep disappointment when China succeeded in blocking it.

The vote against discussing its own report was, as Human Rights Watch’s Elaine Pearson said, shameful and an “abdication of the UNHRC’s responsibilities”. It was a new low for what claims to be the world’s top human rights watchdog. If there are still pathological optimists who think the UNHRC cares about human rights, they should think again.