Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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183. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade his views on the treatment of Uyghur people in Xinjiang; his further views on the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights assessment of human rights concerns in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China; and if he will report on recent and prospective engagements with government officials in China. [7294/25]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The protection and promotion of human rights is a core pillar of Ireland's approach to foreign policy. Where human rights concerns exist, Ireland regularly raises concerns on these matters with our partners, both in bilateral meetings as well as in the appropriate international fora.

In August 2022, the previous UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Michelle Bachelet, released an official assessment of the human rights situation in Xinjiang. The report highlighted the extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim groups, which may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity. This was a serious and significant finding by a leading UN body.

Ireland has consistently raised our concerns about human rights issues, including about the situation of minorities in Xinjiang, in meetings with Chinese officials. We urge China to take on board the OHCHR report recommendations and to engage with the Office of the High Commissioner.

I myself raised our concerns about human rights in China, including the situation of minorities in Xinjiang, with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, when he visited Ireland on 17 February. I emphasised Ireland’s long-held view that all human rights issues of concern should be comprehensively discussed and examined within the UN human rights architecture.

The issue of minorities in Xinjiang had previously been raise by then-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Higgins when they met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang during his visit to Ireland in January 2024. It has also frequently been raised by Irish officials with Chinese counterparts.

In addition to raising these issues in bilateral meetings, Ireland believes strongly in the value of the global multilateral system, where we have all collectively agreed on a range of norms and mechanisms related to human rights, as an opportunity to raise important issues. Ireland is committed to fully utilizing their potential.

In January 2024, as part of its submission to the Universal Periodic Review of China at the Human Rights Council, Ireland highlighted the treatment of ethnic and religious groups, including in Xinjiang. Ireland also called on China to immediately release all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders, journalists and civil society activists.

More recently, in the September 2024 session of the UN Human Rights Council, in our national statement Ireland reiterated our call to China to implement the recommendations of the OHCHR’s Xinijang assessment. Ireland also joined the EU Statement at that session of the Human Rights Council, which included references to the situation in Xinjiang including, inter alia, concerns about mass arbitrary detentions, as well as the non-transparent use of the death penalty, the use of forced labour and labour transfer schemes.

Ireland will continue to address human rights concerns with China, through our bilateral contacts in both Dublin and Beijing and through the relevant multilateral channels.