European Union imposes sanctions on China for human rights violations against Uyghurs | The world

As a result, four regional and two party representatives, as well as an organization from China’s Xinjiang Province, have been included in the EU sanctions list. Their names will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union on Monday (03.22.2021).

According to human rights organizations, there are at least a million Uighurs and other Muslims imprisoned in hundreds of detention camps in Xinjiang. There, Uyghurs are forced to abandon their religion, culture, and language, and in some cases, they are also subjected to abuse. Beijing rejects the accusations and speaks of training and employment programs aimed at combating extremism in the regions.

Protests against human rights violations against the Uighur minority in China.

These are the first sanctions against China for human rights violations since the suppression of protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989. Since then, an arms embargo has been imposed. In July last year, the European Union imposed sanctions for cyber attacks. Two Chinese citizens and a Chinese company were affected.

The European Union uses a legal sanctions framework adopted in December that aims to better punish human rights violations around the world. According to information from European Union circles, about 12 people and various organizations from six countries were affected by the decision on Monday. In addition to China, human rights violations are being committed in Eritrea, Libya, North Korea, Russia and South Sudan.

The sanctions impose an entry ban on those responsible for human rights violations and freeze their potential assets in the European Union. Organizations or companies have also blocked funds and are forbidden to deal with.

For the first time, the European Union used its new human rights sanctions in early March, in the case of detained Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny. Four senior representatives of the police and the Russian judiciary are included in the European Union sanctions list.

CP (dpa, afp)

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

The goddess of democracy

Using foam and paper, protesters are building a statue of the Goddess of Democracy on a metal frame in Tiananmen Square. In the early morning of June 4, the soldiers tore down the statue that had been placed in front of Mao’s portrait.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Singing Police

In the days leading up to the suppression of the democratic movement, citizens often gave gifts to soldiers and police officers. Sometimes, the forces even sang patriotic songs with the protesters. In this photo, a policewoman sings loudly in Tiananmen Square.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Tuned weapons

Thousands of protesters surround a truck loaded with seized weapons, just days before the massacre of those who gathered for democracy.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

The fight for democracy

On the afternoon of June 3, a group of protesters surrounded an armored personnel carrier in front of the Great Hall of the People. The car had broken barriers that people had raised to stop the advance of the military vehicles.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

A burning armored personnel carrier

The protesters set fire to an armored personnel carrier near Tiananmen Square. This is the last photo Jeff Weidner took before he was hit with bricks in the face. The photographer suffered a serious concussion.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Funnel

On June 4, a truck driven by soldiers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army patrolled on Chang’an Street, in front of the Beijing Hotel, the day after the bloody suppression of the student protests. Another truck full of soldiers shot tourists who were standing in the lobby of the Beijing Hotel that day.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

The man is in the tank

A man stands alone in front of a column of tanks. The “tank man” or “the unknown rebel” stands in front of the military vehicles to prevent them from moving on Chang’an Street. The image became a symbol of the Tiananmen events and is considered one of the most famous images of all time.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Dead heroes

On June 5, a group of people on Chang’an Street showed a photo of protesters killed in a local morgue after they were shot by Chinese soldiers. The forces used special bullets to inflict deeper casualties. According to Amnesty International, at least 300 civilians lost their lives.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Brooms

After the military crackdown, two street sweepers cleaned up the remains of a burning truck on Chang’an Street. During the demonstrations, many buses and military vehicles were set on fire, resulting in a number of soldiers being killed or wounded.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Protect Mao

Soldiers and a tank stand guard in front of the Forbidden City and along Tiananmen Square, after a few days of rioting.

This was the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre

Brothers

Photographer Jeff Weidner (left) and Liu Heung Xing pictured in front of the Forbidden City in Beijing in late May 1989, just days before the Tiananmen Massacre.

Author: Gabriel Dominguez