Kathmandu. Lawmakers in the United States of America on Monday sought to speed up the visa application process for the Uyghur Muslims from the Xinjiang Province in China. Citing that they faced “heightened risk from persecution,” at the hands of the Chinese government they urged the United States to grant them a refugee status. Various US Senators, regardless, of their political affiliation are now actively trying to declare Beijing’s treatment of the Uyghurs as a form of genocide.

It was reported in September that the People’s Republic of China was broadening its detention camps for the purpose of “re-educating” the Uyghur minority. The Xinjiang Data Project ascertained that there were over 380 detention centres located throughout Xinjiang area, whereby the individuals who were detained by extrajudicial means were either locked up or were directed towards forced labor. Beijing has professed that these facilities were built in order to push back against extremist ideologies, as a counter to terrorist activities.

Amnesty International in 2019 had inferred that China’s crackdown on the minority population represented a major set back in human rights. The publication had determined that the authorities were predominantly targeting Muslim ethnic groups. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet  had expressed concerns, during the 45th session of the Human Rights Council, over the current situation and had revealed her desire to work alongside the Chinese government in resolving this issue.

The Guardian has noted that US Senators have argued for China’s actions against the Uyghurs to be labeled as genocide. The resolution was submitted on Tuesday and will probably be evaluated after the Senate resumes work once the 2020 Presidential elections are concluded, next week.

Republican Senator, John Cornyn stated that, “This resolution recognizes these crimes for what they are and is the first step toward holding China accountable for their monstrous actions.”

Similarly, Democratic Senator, Jeff Merkley, in condemning Beijing’s activities in Xinjiang conveyed that the US would not remain silent in the face of such violations and that the “escalating surveillance, imprisonment, torture and forced ‘re-education camps’ – is genocide, pure and simple.” GOP Senator Rick Scott, had previously tried to pass a resolution through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, entreating International Olympic Committee (IOC) to cut China off from the 2022 Winter Olympics, reasoning that Beijing was committing “gross human rights violations” against Uighur Muslims.

Earlier on in October, the Canadian’s parliamentary committee had also described China’s policies as an act of genocide, positing that its actions were “a clear attempt to eradicate Uighur culture and religion”. This led Beijing to caution Ottawa on the matter, as Zhao Lijian, the spokesperson of China’s foreign ministry asserted that, “Its groundless statement is full of lies and disinformation. This is blatant interference in China’s internal affairs and reflects those Canadian individuals’ ignorance and prejudice. China firmly deplores and rejects that.”

The plight of the Uyghurs has resonated with many states and human rights groups. Treating Beijing’s actions against the Uyghurs as genocide would undoubtedly amp up the global response towards the issue, creating binding obligations on the states that term it so to address it in accordance to the global convention against genocide. However, keeping Beijing’s rising influence in mind, it remains to be seen as to whether other nations in the region would agree to this claim.