20 TDs/Senators sign letter asking Irish government to condemn China’s treatment of Uighurs        

Twenty TDs and Senators have signed a letter to an Taoiseach, an Tánaiste and to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney expressing serious concern about the mistreatment of the Uighur Muslim people by the Chinese authorities.

The letter, addessed to Mícheál Martin and Leo Varadkar as well as the Foreign Affairs Minister says that the campaign against the Uighur people has been labelled a ‘demographic genocide’.

The Irish government was urged to “intervene and make Ireland’s opposition to this torture known”.

“We are writing to you to request that Ireland immediately condemn the barbaric measures being used by the Chinese Government to slash the Uighur Muslim population in China. The campaign has been labelled a ‘demographic genocide’ by international experts. We are deeply concerned about the ‘detention camps’ to which women are being sent if they have more than the ‘permitted’ number of children,” the letter began.

“News outlets are now reporting that China has subjected ‘hundreds of thousands of women’ to forced pregnancy tests, forced birth control, sterilisation and forced abortions.”

“We are deeply concerned at drone footage that shows hundreds of men and women being led blindfolded onto trains. We are very concerned at reports of men and women being detained without charge or conviction for indefinite lengths of time in ‘thought transformation camps’,”  the TDs and Senators said.

“We are pleading with you, Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Coveney, to urgently intervene and make Ireland’s opposition to this torture known. We feel it would also be beneficial if the Irish government were to lobby other western and European countries to join us in condemning these practices.”

It was signed by:

1. Peadar Tóibín  TD                           Aontú
2. Neasa Hourigan TD                        Green
3. Patrick Costello TD                        Green
4. Joe O’Brien TD                                Green
5. Cian O’Callaghan TD                     Social Democrats
6. Jennifer Whitmore TD                   Social Democrats
7. John Lahart TD                             Fianna Fáil
8. Neale Richmond TD                      Fine Gael
9. Cathal Berry TD                             Ind
10. Matt Shanahan TD                        Ind
11. Seán Canny TD                             Ind
12. Carol Nolan TD                             Ind
13. Michael McNamara TD                 Ind
14. Mattie McGrath TD                       Ind
15. Senator Malcom Byrne                 Fianna Fáil
16. Senator Michael McDowell          Ind
17. Senator Lynne Ruane                    Ind
18. Senator Gerard Craughwell          Ind
19. Senator Ronan Mullen                  Ind
20. Senator David Norris                     Ind