China has urged UN member states not to attend a week-long event organized by Germany, the United States and Britain over the oppression of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic groups in Xinjiang, according to a Report on Friday.
"It's a politically motivated event," wrote the U.N. of China in its book, Thursday. "We request your mission NOT to participate in this anti-China event."
China has charged that the organizers of the event, which includes other European states as well as Australia and Canada, use "human rights issues as a political tool to interfere in Chinese internal affairs such as Xinjiang, create divisions and chaos and disrupt China's development."
"They are very concerned about creating tensions with China," the note said, adding that "this provocative event could lead to further conflict."
China's equipment to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Ambassador for the United States, Germany and Britain is expected to address a UN event on Wednesday, along with Human Rights Watch Executive Director Ken Roth and Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnes Callamard.
The purpose of the event was to "discuss how the UN system, member states and civil society can support and fight for the human rights of members of the Turkic communities in Xinjiang," according to the invitation.
Western provinces and human rights groups have accused the Xinjiang authorities of arresting and torturing Uyghurs in camps, which the United States has described as a genocide. In January, Washington banned the importation of cotton and tomato products into Xinjiang over allegations of forced labor.
Beijing denies the allegations and describes the camps as training centers for the anti-religious activity.
"Beijing has for years been trying to persuade governments to remain silent but that strategy has failed miserably, as many go further to express shock and disgust at China's crimes against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims," Human Rights Watch UN director general Louis Charbonneau said Friday.
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