LONDON:British Prime Minister Boris Johnson narrowly avoided a defeat in Parliament on Tuesday after lawmakers voted against a controversial proposal seeking to bar trade deals with any country deemed by the U.K. High Court to be committing genocide.
The amendment to the government’s post-Brexit trade bill was largely designed to force international action in addressing China’s alleged human rights abuses against the Uighur minority in the far western Xinjiang region.
Campaigners had said that if the proposal passed, Britain would become the first country in the world to allow genocide cases to be considered in domestic courts.
Johnson's working majority stood at just 11 after lawmakers rejected the proposal in a 319-308 vote.
Under the proposal, minorities alleging they have been the subject of genocide can for the first time apply to the High Court of England and ask for judges to determine if a country trading with the U.K. has perpetrated genocide. If the court makes a preliminary ruling against that country, Britain’s government would be forced to revoke bilateral trade agreements.
The move had earlier passed by a majority in Parliament’s upper House of Lords, and had the backing of all opposition parties and a significant number of rebel Conservatives. Leaders from Britain’s Jewish, Muslim and Christian communities also supported it.
The vote came as outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared Tuesday that China’s policies on Muslims and ethnic minorities in Xinjiang constitute crimes against humanity and “genocide.”
The move was sure to anger Beijing, which has repeatedly denied reports of rights abuses in Xinjiang, including mass detentions in prison-like internment centers, alleged forced labor and forced birth control for Uighur women. Officials have insisted the detention centers are intended to combat extremism and teach job skills.
An Associated Press investigation last summer found that the Chinese government was forcing systematic and draconian birth control measures on Uighurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, including IUD — or intrauterine device — fittings, contraceptives and even abortions and sterilizations.
In the U.K., Johnson has been facing increasingly vocal calls within his Conservative party for a stronger and more coherent policy on China that counters the country’s rights abuses and violations of international norms.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab last week called the trade bill amendment “well-meaning” but ineffective and counter-productive.
But in a joint letter to lawmakers urging them to back the amendment, the opposition Labour Party’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, Lisa Nandy, and international trade spokeswoman, Emily Thornberry, said voting for the proposal will send a clear message that “when the most serious violations of human rights occur we will not turn away.”
“In particular, we are all gravely concerned about the situation in Xinjiang and the growing body of evidence of the systemic human rights abuses being committed by the Chinese government on an industrial scale against the Muslim Uighur people and other minorities,” they said.
Those backing the British parliamentary measures argued that despite mounting evidence of atrocities targeting Uighurs in Xinjiang, the United Nations is highly unlikely to refer Beijing to the International Criminal Court because China, a permanent member of the Security Council, will veto the move.
Johnson’s office said his government had a “proud record” standing up for human rights in China.
“We recognize the strength of feeling but the government doesn’t support the amendment,” his press secretary, Allegra Stratton, said.
AP Newsroom
Wed Jan 20 2021
Johnson's working majority stood at just 11 after lawmakers rejected the proposal in a 319-308 vote. - REUTERS
'Saya perlu dapatkan semula keyakinan diri' - Zii Jia
Lee Zii Jia mengakui perlu mendapatkan semula keyakinan diri selepas tewas kepada nombor satu dunia Viktor Axelsen semalam.
Selangor sasar noktah miskin tegar Julai ini - MB
Majlis Tindakan Pembangunan Negeri Selangor merekodkan sejumlah 861 keluarga masih berada dalam kategori miskin tegar.
Mesir-Perancis bincang gencatan senjata, bantuan kemanusiaan di Gaza
Mereka menekankan keperluan segera untuk gencatan senjata dan membincangkan beberapa inisiatif yang bertujuan menyelesaikan krisis tersebut.
Kitaro di Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Dunia 2024
Kitaro bakal membuat persembahan pada Festival Muzik Hutan Hujan Dunia (RWMF) 2024 pada 28-30 Jun ini.
PH kerja keras pertahan DUN KKB, tidak mahu berasa selesa
Walaupun berjaya menguasai kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) selama tiga penggal sejak 2013, namun ia bukanlah tiket untuk Pakatan Harapan (PH) berasa selesa.
MDKpr nafi curi haiwan ternakan dalam kandang
Ahmad Suqairy berkata haiwan itu ditangkap dalam operasi oleh Bahagian Penguatkuasaan MDKpr pada 23 Apr lalu di kawasan Kolej TAR.
488 acara dipertandingkan di SUKMA Sarawak 2024 - MSN
Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Sukan Malaysia (SUKMA) secara rasmi bersetuju menawarkan sejumlah 488 acara dipertandingkan pada temasya SUKMA Sarawak 2024.
Petronas Dagangan catat jualan lebih 16 bilion liter bahan api pada 2023
PDB merekodkan peningkatan perolehan sebanyak dua peratus didorong jumlah jualan lebih tinggi dan keuntungan selepas cukai yang meningkat.
Aset rizab rasmi Malaysia berjumlah AS$113.76 bilion pada akhir Mac - BNM
Aset rizab rasmi Malaysia berjumlah AS$113.76 bilion pada akhir Mac 2024 manakala aset mata wang asing lain adalah US$1.61 bilion, kata Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).
Kemunculan Momota di gelanggang pastinya dirindui - Pemain badminton dunia
Momota bakal bersara daripada arena sukan badminton antarabangsa selepas Piala Thomas 2024 yang sedang berlangsung di Chengdu.
Tak sedar aksi dirakam, penyampai BBC mohon maaf kepada penonton
Seorang penyampai berita saluran BBC memohon maaf atas selepas tidak sengaja menunjukkan jari tengah ketika mula bersiaran di televisyen.
Parlimen Britain sahkan laporan Boris Johnson berbohong
Ini sekaligus memberikan satu lagi tamparan kepada kerjaya politik bekas Perdana Menteri itu.
Boris Johnson didapati bersalah kerana 'penghinaan berulang' terhadap Parlimen
Siasatan mendapati bekas perdana menteri Britain Boris Johnson "berulang kali menghina" Parlimen berikutan penafiannya mengenai skandal "partygate".
Boris Johnson letak jawatan sebagai ahli parlimen
Bekas Perdana Menteri itu akui sedih apabila mengambil keputusan letak jawatan.
Kerajaan Britain diberi lebih masa serah mesej WhatsApp Boris Johnson
Hakim memberi tempoh sehingga Khamis, menyerahkan mesej dari aplikasi WhatsApp dan diari Johnson sebagai sebahagian daripada siasatannya.
Pengerusi BBC letak jawatan selepas laporan beliau terlibat dalam pinjaman untuk Boris Johnson
Pengerusi BBC Britain meletak jawatan pada Jumaat berikutan laporan yang mendapati beliau melanggar kod kerajaan.
'Tiada bukti saya mengelirukan Parlimen' - Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson menafikan beliau sengaja mengelirukan Dewan Rakyat dalam skandal parti di pejabat Downing Street.
Boris Johnson dipilih bertanding di Uxbridge, bagi pilihan raya umum akan datang
Pilihan raya umum akan datang di United Kingdom dijangka berlangsung selewat-lewatnya pada Januari 2025.
PM UK: Boris Johnson tarik diri, Rishi Sunak calon kegemaran
Percubaan kali pertama Sunak ialah pada musim panas lalu berikutan peletakan jawatan Johnson, tetapi kalah kepada Liz Truss, yang meletak jawatan Khamis lalu.
Boris Johnson tidak akan sertai perlumbaan jadi PM
Beliau memutuskan bahawa ia adalah satu keputusan yang tidak wajar untuk berbuat demikian pada masa ini.