China, like-minded countries concerned about human rights violations against indigenous people

GENEVA -- China and a group of countries on Monday called on the UN Human Rights Council to continue to attend to serious human rights violations against indigenous people and take necessary actions accordingly.

Delivering a joint statement on behalf of the group of countries at the ongoing 49th session of the Human Rights Council, Jiang Duan, minister of the Chinese mission to the UN in Geneva, said they are deeply concerned about serious violations of human rights of indigenous people by some countries.

"In the past centuries, countries in question have oppressed and exploited indigenous people, violating their human rights and fundamental freedoms, looting their land and resources, killing with brutality their population and eliminating their culture," he said, adding that some indigenous children, who were sent to "residential schools" for the purpose of assimilation, were abused and many died unnatural deaths -- the truth of which has been covered up to this day.

Jiang pointed out that countries in question have not yet taken effective measures to protect the rights of the indigenous people, and discriminatory legislations and policies remain in force.

"Indigenous people in those countries are subject to systemic discrimination and inequality, and have been marginalized at the bottom of the society. Their disadvantaged position further deteriorated under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

The Chinese diplomat urged those countries in question to immediately act to correct their wrongs, investigate human rights violations against indigenous people, hold those responsible accountable, redress the victims, and completely eliminate discrimination.

"We call upon the Human Rights Council to continue to attend to serious human rights violations against indigenous people by countries in question and take necessary actions accordingly," he concluded.