Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 28 January 2021
123. Deputy Eoghan Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the determination by the Government of the United States of America that China is currently committing genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic groups within the country. [4656/21]
View answerIreland remains deeply concerned about the treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and we are closely following reports related to arbitrary detention, forced labour, forced sterilisations, and restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in the region.
The term "genocide" is a term that has a particular meaning under international law, and definitive recognition of events as genocide involves a complex analysis of both facts and law.
Ireland follows a practice of recognising genocide only where this has been established by a judgement of an international court, or where there is international consensus on the matter.
The use of the term by the US in the past number of weeks is indicative of how seriously that country assesses the situation in Xinjiang. It is an issue that both Ireland and the EU also take extremely seriously. We have been active in raising our concerns with Chinese authorities both bilaterally and in multilateral fora, and it is an issue that we will continue to work on.
