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HRIC Translation: China’s Follow-up Response to UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

October 30, 2019

In August 2018, China underwent a periodic review by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on the country’s implementation of obligations under the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). Among the key topics of the Committee’s inquiry during the interactive dialogue with the Chinese delegation (Day 1, Day 2) was China’s widely-reported detention of more than one million Uyghurs and other ethnic Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

In its Concluding Observations issued in September 2018, the Committee requested China to respond within one year to a number of questions and recommendations the Committee put forth, including those concerning the extralegal detention of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang.

The Chinese government provided its follow-up response on October 8, 2019, but in Chinese only. Below is the Chinese original and HRIC’s English translation of the “Chinese Government’s Follow-up Response to the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.”


 Chinese Government’s Follow-up Response to the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

October 8, 2019

中国政府关于联合国消除种族歧视委员会
结论性意见后续行动的答复材料

Source: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CERD%2fC%2fCHN%2fCO%2f14-17%2fAdd.1&Lang=en

Chinese Original

English Translation by HRIC

消除种族歧视委员会结论性意见中提到的问题,中方在向委员会提交的履约报告和主题清单答复材料中以及与委员会进行互动对话时已作出一定说明。中国政府现根据结论性意见有关后续行动的建议(第61段),就结论性意见第33段(b)、第42段(a)-(d)、第42段(f)-(h)和第44段(c)相关问题进行回应:

The issues mentioned in the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination have been given certain explanations by China in the periodic reports on its implementation of the Convention and the list of themes to the Committee as well as in the interactive dialogue with the Committee. The Chinese government now responds, according to the Concluding Observations’ recommendation for follow-up (para. 61), and to the issues related to paragraphs 33 (b), 42 (a)-(d), 42 (f)-(h), and 44 (c) of the Concluding Observations:

一、关于在中国正式注册就《消除一切形式种族歧视国际公约》有关问题开展活动的非政府组织的数字

I. Concerning the number of non-governmental organizations officially registered in China carrying out activities on issues related to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

中国政府一贯重视社会组织在消除种族歧视、保护少数民族权利方面的作用。目前,在民政部门登记的与民族有关的社会组织有近1800个。这些组织在教育卫生、文化体育、经济贸易、对外交流、理论研究等领域积极开展活动,为保障少数民族合法权益,促进各民族平等、团结、互助、和谐发展发挥了重要作用。

The Chinese government has always attached importance to the role of social organizations in eliminating racial discrimination and protecting the rights of ethnic minorities. At present, there are nearly 1,800 social organizations related to ethnic groups registered with civil affairs departments. These organizations have actively carried out activities in fields including education and health, culture and sports, economics and trade, foreign exchanges, and theoretical research. They have played an important role in safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of ethnic minorities and promoting equality, unity, mutual assistance, and the harmonious development among all ethnic groups.

二、关于中国新疆维吾尔自治区有关问题

II. Concerning issues relating to China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

在对话会期间,有关委员关注新疆职业技能教育培训中心(以下简称“教培中心”)问题,中方愿在回答涉及新疆维吾尔自治区其他有关问题前,就教培中心问题作出说明。

During the dialogue, the relevant Committee members showed concern over the issue of vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang (hereinafter referred to as “education and training centers”). The Chinese government wishes to explain the issue of the education and training centers before answering other relevant issues involving the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

恐怖主义、极端主义是人类社会的共同敌人,反恐、去极端化是国际社会的共同责任。新疆是中国反恐、去极端化斗争的主战场。一段时期,新疆深受恐怖主义、宗教极端主义之害,人民生命安全受到严重威胁。新疆坚持标本兼治,打击与预防相结合,通过依法设立教培中心,开展职业技能教育培训工作,着力消除恐怖主义、宗教极端主义滋生蔓延的土壤和条件,有效遏制了恐怖活动多发频发势头,最大限度保障了各族人民的生命权、健康权、发展权等基本权利,取得了反恐、去极端化斗争重要阶段性胜利。

Terrorism and extremism are the common enemies of human society. Counterterrorism and de-extremification are the common responsibilities of the international community. Xinjiang is the main battlefield for China's struggle against terrorism and extremism. For a period of time, Xinjiang has been deeply victimized by terrorism and religious extremism, and the security of people’s lives has been seriously threatened. Xinjiang perseveres in treating both the symptoms and the root causes, and combining attack and prevention; carries out vocational education and training through establishing education and training centers in accordance with the law; strives to eliminate the soil and conditions for the breeding and spread of terrorism and religious extremism; has effectively curbed the momentum of the frequent occurrences of terrorist activities; protects the basic rights of the people of all ethnic groups to the maximum extent, such as the rights to life, health, and development; and has achieved a major interim victory in the struggle against terrorism and extremism.

新疆依据《中华人民共和国反恐怖主义法》《新疆维吾尔自治区实施〈中华人民共和国反恐怖主义法〉办法》《新疆维吾尔自治区去极端化条例》等法律法规,设立了教培中心,开展帮教等工作。目前进入教培中心的学员有三类:一是被教唆、胁迫、引诱参与恐怖活动、极端主义活动,或者参与恐怖活动、极端主义活动情节轻微,尚不构成犯罪的人员。二是被教唆、胁迫、引诱参与恐怖活动、极端主义活动,或者参与恐怖活动、极端主义活动,有现实危险性,尚未造成实际危害后果,主观恶性不深,能够认罪悔罪,依法不需要判处刑罚或者免除刑罚,自愿接受培训的人员。三是因恐怖活动犯罪、极端主义犯罪被定罪处刑,刑满释放前经评估仍有社会危险性,人民法院依法决定在刑满释放后进行安置教育的人员。对第一、第三类人员,根据《中华人民共和国反恐怖主义法》第二十九条、第三十条的规定,依法进行帮教或者安置教育。对第二类人员,则本着宽严相济的刑事政策,打击少数、挽救多数,对认罪悔罪、自愿接受培训的人员,在依法作出不起诉决定后对其进行帮教。对上述人员,通过“集中培训、寄宿学习、实践培养”等多种形式开展免费职业技能教育培训,并在学员考核达标后颁发结业证书。学员结业后,可以自主择业,也可以由有关部门协助安排就业。参加教育培训的人数是动态的,有进有出。随着教培工作的有效开展和推进,大多数学员已达到培训要求顺利结业。

In accordance with the Counter-Terrorism Law of the People's Republic of China, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Implementing Measures for the Counter-Terrorism Law of the People’s Republic of China, the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Regulation on De-Extremification, and other laws and regulations, Xinjiang has established education and training centers to carry out work such as mentoring.

There are currently three categories of students entering education and training centers: First is persons who are instigated, coerced, or lured into participating in terrorist or extremist activities, or persons whose participation in terrorist or extremist activities is minor and does not constitute a crime. Second is [those] who are instigated, coerced, or lured into participating in terrorist or extremist activities, or whose participation in terrorist or extremist activities poses a real danger but has not yet caused actual harmful consequences, whose subjective malice is not deep, who can plead guilty and repent, who do not need to be criminally sentenced or are exempt from criminal penalties, and who voluntarily accept training. Third is [those] who have been convicted of and sentenced for terrorist or extremist crimes and found through assessment before their release to still be dangerous to society at the completion of their sentence, and for whom post-release educational placement is ordered by the people's court in accordance with the law.

For the first and third categories of persons, according to the provisions in Article 29 and Article 30 of the Counter-Terrorism Law of the People's Republic of China, mentoring or placement education is conducted in accordance with the law. For the second category of persons, based on the criminal policy of “tempering justice with leniency” [and the principle of] striking a small number to save the majority, those who plead guilty and repent and voluntarily accept training, mentoring is provided after a decision is made, in accordance with the law, not to prosecute them.

For the above-mentioned persons, free vocational education and training are carried out in various forms including “centralized training, boarding studies, and practical cultivation,” and a completion certificate is issued after assessment showing that the student has met standards. After students complete their studies, they can choose their own employment, or be assisted by relevant departments to arrange for employment. The number of people attending education and training is dynamic, showing entrances and exits. With the effective development and promotion of education and training work, the majority of trainees have met training requirements and successfully completed their studies.

 

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Related Resources

Combined Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Sixteenth, and Seventeenth Review (2018)

  • Chinese Government’s Follow-up Response to the Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (October 8, 2019): EN, CH
  • Concluding observations on the combined fourteenth to seventeenth periodic reports of China (including Hong Kong, China and Macao, China)(2018): EN, CH
  • (Video) Consideration of China - 2654th Meeting 96th Session Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (August 2018)
  • List of themes by the country rapporteur in relation to the combined fourteenth to seventeenth periodic reports of China (2018): EN
  • HRIC parallel submission in advance of the review of PRC’s fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth periodic reports (2018): EN
  • China’s combined fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth periodic reports (2017): EN, CH
  • List of themes by the country rapporteur in relation to the combined fourteenth to seventeenth periodic reports of China (2018): EN
  • HRIC parallel submission in advance of the review of PRC’s fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth periodic reports (2018): EN
  • China’s combined fourteenth, fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth periodic reports (2017): EN, CH