U.S. lawmakers complain Trump has taken 'no meaningful action' on abuse of China Muslims

By David Brunnstrom

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shakes hands with House Foreign Relations Committee Democratic Ranking member Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) before a hearing of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., May 23, 2018. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers complained to the Trump administration on Monday that its response to rights abuses against China's Muslim minority was inadequate months after it said it was looking into imposing sanctions.

 

"This issue is bigger than just China. It is about demonstrating to strongmen globally that the world will hold them accountable for their actions," the lawmakers wrote in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

 

The group is led by Eliot Engel, Democratic chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and includes Republican ranking member Representative Ted Yoho.

 

Pompeo wrote to the committee on Sept. 28 saying his department was looking into a request for sanctions on those responsible for abuses and for controls on exports of technology that facilitates mass detentions and surveillance of ethnic minorities in western China's Xinjiang region, the letter said.

 

"It appears that the Administration has taken no meaningful action ... and we write today with a renewed sense of urgency on this serious matter," said the letter, also signed by Brad Sherman, Democratic chairman of the Asia and Pacific subcommittee, and Chris Smith, Republican ranking member of the human rights subcommittee.

 

The U.S. ambassador for International Religious Freedom, Sam Brownback, told reporters the issue was "being discussed thoroughly within the administration," but he had no new steps to announce.

 

Brownback spoke at a Capitol Hill event to mark the formation of the Coalition to Advance Religious Freedom in China, a multi-faith group of over a dozen religious and rights organizations established to campaign against persecution.

 

A spokeswoman for the State Department said it remained "deeply disturbed that since April 2017, the Chinese government has detained more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Muslims in internment camps."

 

"We will continue to call on China to end these counterproductive policies, free all those arbitrarily detained, and cease efforts to coerce members of its Muslim minority groups residing abroad to return to China to face an uncertain fate," she said.

 

China denies the allegations.

 

U.S. officials said last year the administration was considering sanctions against companies and officials linked to China's crackdown, including Xinjiang Party Secretary Chen Quanguo, a member of the Chinese leadership's powerful politburo.

 

But no action has been forthcoming, with the administration engaged in sensitive negotiations to resolve a trade war between the countries. Pompeo said on Monday he thought they were "on the cusp" of a deal to end the trade war.

 

In an November interview with Reuters, China's ambassador to Washington warned of retaliation if Washington were to impose sanctions on Chen.

 

The U.S. lawmakers said it was a particular concern that U.S. firms might be contributing to the Xinjiang persecution, given commercial ties to Chinese tech companies that had profited from a surge in security spending there.

 

They called for written responses from Pompeo as to whether the U.S. government monitored the use of U.S. technology that could be used for surveillance or detention in Xinjiang and information on any U.S. firms providing such technology.

 

The letter highlighted a Jan. 31 Reuters report saying that Hong Kong-listed Frontier Services Group, co-founded by former U.S. military services contractor Erik Prince, had signed a deal to build a training base in Xinjiang.

 

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; editing by Grant McCool and Sonya Hepinstall)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-03-05

It's a fair charge. It would look a lot more fair and carry more weight if the House had passed a non-binding resolution stating this rather than just jaw boning.

Complaining is a prerequisite for the Dems party.   The lineup of countries abusing Muslims is extensive. The lineup of Muslim countries abusing their own people is staggering.  

 

The US has addressed Muslim on Muslim abuse in several Muslim countries...not the time to take on most of SE Asia and China for Muslim related abuses...

Are you surprised?

DJT's best buddy MBS recently commended DJT's other best buddy China's Xi Jinping on their (mis)handling of their Muslim Uighur minorities. All we need is Uncle Vlad with his state repression in the Caucasus to make the unholy triumvirate, no?

Saudi crown prince defends China's right to put Uighur Muslims in concentration camps

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/02/22/saudi-crown-prince-defends-chinas-right-put-uighur-muslims-concentration/

 

Can't see what US lawmakers even have a dog in this fight. Maybe it's just another 'Get Trump' exercise?

Edited March 5, 20197 yr by NanLaew
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Where muslims go, trouble soon follows, and I don,t blame Trump for not getting involved, nor for that matter Aung San Su Chi in Burma.

...duhh...

 

...I guess...... 'We The Sheeple' .......may not have woken up yet....

 

...thousands of pages citing criminal, drug and human trafficking influx from their own southern borders....

 

...oh wait....

 

...these accusers are supposedly the ones profiting from this national breach...

 

...so better throw another 'spit ball'.....

 

...jeez....

 

 

Hey, wait up here, the Dems were all checks & balances last week. So easy for them to pass some China Punishment on their own, force POTUS to veto.  They'd rather beat their collective breasts about something they have no idea how to handle themselves.

Lol. Trump doesn’t give a rats ring piece about Muslims in his own country - why would he give one for Muslims in China?

32 minutes ago, IAMHERE said:

Hey, wait up here, the Dems were all checks & balances last week. So easy for them to pass some China Punishment on their own, force POTUS to veto.  They'd rather beat their collective breasts about something they have no idea how to handle themselves.

Actually things like this are the executive's job, but they could pass a non-binding resolution. I'm not sure why they haven't.

To make an effective statement on the issue would require moral authority, and this administration has none.

 

Nevertheless this will be one of those slow burning issues which will eventually gain alot of attention and be used to wedge China.

The American president and government cannot watch as a totalitarian state puts one million people in concentration camps with the help of American companies and stay silent. If the president refuses to do anything, congress should enact sanctions on their own. 

If the Arab world isn't too bothered by these human rights abuses, then why should globocop USA be expected to step up again as the white savior?

If it’s not about him, <deleted> off, he says

perhaps  they are  pumpin  out  copious volumes  of  handbags for a  certin   family member?  Gotta  fill the  contract  !    on on. Oi !  You!  No sleep! 3 less  grains of  rice  from  your  generous  10 !

Nobody seems to be worried about Christians in Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia. Why worry about Muslims in China. Saidi Arabia gave China it's blessing on the re-education camps. 

35 minutes ago, Ulic said:

Nobody seems to be worried about Christians in Egypt, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia. Why worry about Muslims in China. Saidi Arabia gave China it's blessing on the re-education camps. 

Yes, you are correct. Lots of minorities all around the world are being systematically eliminated or silenced.

And every time a really big injustice occurs, we can always fall back on this fact.

Here we go, time to wash my hands again.

 Politics based on popularism, not morals. Something the entire west is guilty of. On this occasion, not just USA.

15 hours ago, tubby johnson said:

If the Arab world isn't too bothered by these human rights abuses, then why should globocop USA be expected to step up again as the white savior?

Because evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

 

The USA has a huge bargaining chip with Chinese trade and tariff negotiations at the moment since the Chinese economy is feeling the pinch. A word in the ear from Trump's negotiators could do a lot of good to ease the suffering of millions of people. 

A post containing an offensive reference to Trump has been removed. 

China's Muslims are not the US's problem ????

3 minutes ago, Fred white said:

China's Muslims are not the US's problem ????

 

But China is. People ought to know what the true cost of what they consume is. Maybe products from China should have a label that says "made with prison labor", or $4.99 and a one prisoner of conscience ormade by the world's worst polluter. Maybe a gallon of gasoline should be priced $2.75 + $400 defense budget + a young American boy's leg + a Yemeni child's life.

17 minutes ago, Fred white said:

China's Muslims are not the US's problem ????

The US said that about German Jews for a long time as well.

On 3/5/2019 at 10:49 AM, samran said:

To make an effective statement on the issue would require moral authority, and this administration has none.

 

Nevertheless this will be one of those slow burning issues which will eventually gain alot of attention and be used to wedge China.

 

Like Tibet?

6 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

Like Tibet?

 

People don't seem to mind, when pointing out the deficencies in those whose actions they endorse. They never seem to make the connection that what is being pointed out is a deficiency in themselves.

15 hours ago, Prissana Pescud said:

Yes, you are correct. Lots of minorities all around the world are being systematically eliminated or silenced.

And every time a really big injustice occurs, we can always fall back on this fact.

Here we go, time to wash my hands again.

 Politics based on popularism, not morals. Something the entire west is guilty of. On this occasion, not just USA.

 

For some posters, going on about things "the West" is supposedly guilty of or responsible for is pretty much the bottom line argument, regardless of topic. Somehow, the onus of accountability isn't focused on China's policies, but rather on them countries practicing better (if imperfect) ways.

 

And, of course, if and when "the West" takes a more assertive stand or forces an issue, then the argument morphs into anti-interventionism, anti-"imperialism" and whatnot.

 

 

4 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

People don't seem to mind, when pointing out the deficencies in those whose actions they endorse. They never seem to make the connection that what is being pointed out is a deficiency in themselves.

 

I wouldn't know which people you're referring to, or what deficiencies you're on about. The previous assertion was that this (China's treatment of Muslim minority) issue will "eventually gain a lot of attention and be used to wedge China". Considering the past example of Tibet, and what with the Tibetans even having a better image - how did this pan out as far as "wedge China" goes?

 

1 minute ago, Morch said:

 

I wouldn't know which people you're referring to, or what deficiencies you're on about. The previous assertion was that this (China's treatment of Muslim minority) issue will "eventually gain a lot of attention and be used to wedge China". Considering the past example of Tibet, and what with the Tibetans even having a better image - how did this pan out as far as "wedge China" goes?

 

 

Nobody want to "wedge China" unless and until they personally stop benefitting from China's anti humanitarian excesses.

7 hours ago, dexterm said:

Because evil triumphs when good men do nothing.

 

The USA has a huge bargaining chip with Chinese trade and tariff negotiations at the moment since the Chinese economy is feeling the pinch. A word in the ear from Trump's negotiators could do a lot of good to ease the suffering of millions of people. 

 

Because slogans are the answer to everything.

 

You have dodged the point raised by the post replied to, regarding the Arab world's stance on the matter. That is, unless the opening slogan's implication was that the Arab world is either excluded or exempt.

 

As for your assertions regarding the USA's supposed leverage - the negotiations and situation between the sides isn't nearly as imbalanced as implied. Claiming that "a word in the ear" may alter China's relevant domestic policy would require a bit more than a poster saying so. China is not particularity known as receptive to even commentary by foreign powers on such matters.

 

And as opined above, kinda amusing seeing them double standards with regards to the USA excreting influence.

6 minutes ago, lannarebirth said:

 

Nobody want to "wedge China" unless and until they personally stop benefitting from China's anti humanitarian excesses.

 

Without defending China's humanitarian excesses, do the relevant ones apply as far as personal benefit goes? And again, China's been at it for decades (Tibet being just a handy example) - any signs that these issues manage much traction as far as consumers worldwide go?

 

 

Just now, Morch said:

 

Without defending China's humanitarian excesses, do the relevant ones apply as far as personal benefit goes? And again, China's been at it for decades (Tibet being just a handy example) - any signs that these issues manage much traction as far as consumers worldwide go?

 

 

Outside of my own choices, no evidence at all.