London, April 23 (IANS) Sayragul Sauytbay, Vice President of East Turkestan’s government-in-exile, has accused British Prime Minister Keir Starmer of “disrespecting human rights” over the approval of a Chinese mega-Embassy in London, a report has highlighted.
Speaking to UK's 'The Independent', Sauytbay, an ethnic Kazakh, claimed to have witnessed serious abuses while being forced to work in one of China's Xinjiang internment camps in 2017. She criticised Starmer for prioritising economic and political interests over international law.
"The recent activities of the current UK government have left us in deep anguish and fear," The Independent quoted Sauytbay as saying, adding that Britain has "no right" to speak about freedom and democracy as it moves to strengthen ties with China and President Xi Jinping.
She described grave abuses in Chinese internment camps in Xinjiang region, home to several Turkic ethnic minority groups, including Uyghurs and Kazakhs. She also recalled the horrors of the so-called "black room" where detainees were allegedly tortured.
Highlighting the "horrific abuse of detainees" in detention camp by the Chinese authorities, Sautbay was quoted as saying by The Independent: "They engage in all forms of torture against the detainees, including both psychological and physical torture. They routinely rape women. I've witnessed gang rapes as well with my own eyes".
Sauytbay stated that she was also subjected to the same "inhumane treatment" despite her role as a teacher.
"You can't talk, you can't cry, you can't smile – even as an instructor, you can't speak with the detainees unless it's about teaching them," she recalled.
Expressing concern, Sauytbay said that Kazakhs and Uyghurs once looked to the UK as a beacon of "hope and help". However, in recent months, she said, the British government has sought to repair the strained relationship between the UK and China – despite Beijing’s poor human rights record.
The British Prime Minister called for a "more sophisticated" relationship with the Chinese government during a landmark visit to Beijing in January, emphasising the financial benefits of improved ties with the world’s second-largest economy.
Sauytbay highlighted that days before the visit, the UK had approved a "controversial plan" for a Chinese mega-Embassy in London, drawing criticism from many who view it as a national security risk.
"Starmer is disrespecting human rights. He's disrespecting international law and obligations because human rights need to be prioritised over all things, over economic and political gains," leading British daily 'The Independent' quoted Sauytbay as saying.
"Every country has legal obligations that they signed on to before international law, that they will prioritise and respect human rights. If they are not respecting that, then they have no right to speak about freedom and democracy in other parts of the world. So I want to highlight this hypocrisy by the UK government when it comes to our people,” she added.
--IANS
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