Bachelet takes on China, EU, US and Saudi-led coalition in first speech

Ersin Çelik
10:1010/09/2018, Monday
U: 10/09/2018, Monday
REUTERS
Michelle Bachelet
Michelle Bachelet


The United Nations human rights boss Michelle Bachelet called on China on Monday to allow monitors into the country following "deeply disturbing" allegations of large re-education camps in which Uighurs are detained in far western Xinjiang province.

The former Chilean president, in her maiden speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council, said that she was sending teams to Austria and Italy to look into protection of migrants. She voiced concern that 500 migrant children in the United States taken away from their parents have not yet been returned.

Bachelet urged the Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen to show greater transparency in their rules of engagement and hold to account perpetrators of deadly air strikes on civilians, including that which hit a bus of children in Saada last month.

Bachelet presses for new body on crimes against Myanmar Rohingya

Bachelet called for an international mechanism to collect evidence of crimes against Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar including murder and torture, with a view to future prosecution.

Bachelet, in her first speech to the Human Rights Council since taking office on Sept. 1, said: "This mechanism would also complement and support the preliminary examination of the ICC (International Criminal Court) Prosecutor.

"I urge the Council to pass a resolution and refer the matter to the General Assembly for its endorsement so that such a mechanism can be established."

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#Saudi Arabia