US sanctions China’s paramilitary body, 2 CCP leaders in Xinjiang over abuse of Uyghurs

Washington: The US has imposed strict sanctions against the Chinese paramilitary as well as two of the Chinese Communist Party members involved in committing atrocities against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. It is the second instance of significant US action against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over Uyghurs in the last month. In July, the Trump Administration had announced sanctions against Chen Quanguo, a member of China’s Politburo, and other top officials as well as blacklisted 11 Chinese companies.

paramilitary, china, US China has been torturing Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang for the past few years, and the international community has also taken cognisance of the matter. In 2018, a UN report had made the startling revelation that China was holding 1.1 million Uyghurs in concentration camps in Xinjiang. After the report, western nations began to target China over the matter, and the US was at its forefront. The Trump Administration has taken several important decisions against the abuse of Uyghurs in the past few months, and the latest move is part of the strategy as well.

On Friday, the US Department of Treasury announced sanctions against the Chinese paramilitary forces called the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), which are linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The XPCC comprises of more than 2.5 million soldiers, and the Chinese Communist Party is said to have taken complete control over the economic system of Xinjiang through the forces. Apart from the paramilitary forces, leaders Sun Jinlong and Peng Jiarui have also been sanctioned. The two leaders and the paramilitary forces have been accused of committing extreme torture and abuse of human rights against Uyghurs. The US will use all available resources and alternatives to implement the sanctions, informed US Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin.

paramilitary, china, US In June, the US President had signed the Uyghur Human Rights Act into law. The Uyghur law allows sanctioning Chinese officials. The Chinese leaders and officials involved in the state’s crackdown on Uyghurs have been targeted with the law. Prior to that, in May as also in October, the US had taken action against the Chinese companies and state agencies that participated in the Uyghur crackdown by introducing sanctions against them.

paramilitary, china, US In the last month, the US had blacklisted 11 companies, which were using the Uyghur community as modern-day slaves. These include the firms that supply raw materials to top US companies such as Apple, Microsoft and Tommy Hilfiger. The US Department of State had even warned the companies to reconsider their ties to the firms and regime of China, as the ruling Communist Party was using the Uyghurs to carry out forced labour.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has announced banning the Chinese app ‘TikTok’. The orders for the same will soon be released, said Trump. Also, President Trump informed that the decision was meant in the interest of the US citizens and in view of their security. Previously, India had banned TikTok and over 100 other Chinese apps. The US has lauded India’s decision and action against the apps.

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