Impose sanctions on China over its treatment of Uyghur Muslims

The UK Government plans to introduce “Magnitsky law”, a law which targets people who commit gross human rights violations. Through this law or alternative means, this petition urges the UK Government to impose sanctions on China for their human rights violations on the Uyghur people.

Since 2017, there have been many reports of the “cultural genocide” of Uyghur Muslims, a minority Turkic ethnic group native to Xinjiang, China. They are subject to mass detention, mass surveillance, restriction of religious and cultural identities, as well as other gross human rights abuses. Over a million Uyghurs have been forced into "re-education" camps.

In front of the United Nations in October 2019, pressure was placed on China regarding the treatment of Uyghurs during a joint statement from 23 countries. Despite this statement and growing public awareness, nothing substantial or concrete has been done to resolve the crisis and help the Uyghur people.

On 6 July, the Government established the Global Human Rights (‘Magnitsky’) sanctions regime by laying regulations in Parliament under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. In a statement to Parliament, the Foreign Secretary set out in full the scope of the UK’s new Global Human Rights sanctions regime. He announced the first tranche of designations, as well as the Government’s approach to future designations.

This sanctions regime will give the UK a powerful new tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. The sanctions regime is not intended to target individual countries. It will allow for sanctions to be imposed on individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations or abuses around the world.

We will continue to consider potential designations under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime, but it is not appropriate to speculate about who we may be considering, as to do so may reduce the impact of those future designations.

As the Foreign Secretary said in the House of Commons on 20 July, we have been clear about our grave concerns regarding the gross human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.