With Republican lawmakers introducing legislation to hold China accountable for the COVID-19 outbreak, Democrat lawmakers are now also voicing their disapproval of the country, citing their years of human rights violations are a growing threat and concern to democracy worldwide.
Florida Rep. Ted Deutch (D) took to Twitter to share his thoughts on the threat that China poses, arguing that “China must be held accountable for its human rights violations against millions of Uyghurs & other minority groups.” He added that “the House stands against repression and for human rights abroad by making it clear that the USA will not condone these violations.”
China must be held accountable for its human right violations against millions of Uyghurs & other minority groups.
Today, the House stands against repression and for human rights abroad by making it clear that the USA will not condone these violations. https://t.co/H3gRNzFYdg— Rep. Ted Deutch (@RepTedDeutch) May 27, 2020
Deutch's remarks come after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted on Wednesday to sanction Chinese government officials that are responsible for internment camps located in the region of Xinjiang. AN estimated 2 million ethnic Muslims are currently being detained in the internment camps. In response, lawmakers have drafted the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020, which condemns the Chinese Communist Party for having these detention centers. As well, lawmakers call for a tougher response to the human rights abuses that the Chinese Communist Party has perpetrated, which includes oppressing Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, and other Muslim minorities.
China has received a significant amount of criticism, decrying the Chinese Communist Government’s spreading of misinformation regarding the coronavirus as well as receiving criticism for mishandling the spread of the virus. And, it seems that criticism is only adding to the tension between the United States and China.
Commenting on the legislation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) argued that “Beijing’s barbarous actions targeting the Uyghur people are an outrage to the collective conscious of the world.” She added that “this House of Representatives, in a very strong bipartisan way, we are sending a message to the persecuted that they are not forgotten.”
She concluded, speaking directly to the President of China, that “you may tell these people that they are forgotten, but they aren’t.”
