India along with Brazil abstain on UNHRC vote on Xinjiang

India along with Brazil on Thursday abstained as the U.N. Human Rights Council voted against holding a debate on alleged abuses in China's Xinjiang region in a major setback for the West.

The United States and its allies last month presented the first-ever draft decision to the UHRC targeting China on Xinjiang. The draft decision was co-sponsored by Britain, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Australia and Lithuania.

The move came after former U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet released her report on Xinjiang report last month, citing possible crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-western region.


Countries on the 47-member council in Geneva voted 19-17 against holding a debate, with 11 countries abstaining. Those abstaining were Argentina, Armenia, Benin, Brazil, Gambia, India, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Mexico and interestingly Ukraine. This was display of unity among global south.

The nations voting against having a discussion were Bolivia, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Gabon, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kazakhstan, Mauritania, Namibia, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Senegal, Sudan, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

Beijing vehemently rejected the charges and accused the U.N. of becoming a "thug and accomplice of the US and the West". It claims it is running vocational training centres in the region to counter extremism.