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UN: China's treatment of Uighur Muslims may be crime against humanity

The United Nations on late Wednesday (August 31) released a landmark report detailing serious human rights abuses by China against the Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang region.
The Xinjiang region has swung in and out of Chinese rule over the centuries, but fell back into Beijing’s orbit as the Communist Party launched a military-led settlement programme after taking control of the country in 1949.
Its population of around 26 million is ethnically diverse, including Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other minority groups.
The Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic group who speak a Turkic language and are culturally closer to communities in Central Asia than Beijing.
The report was released by chief Michelle Bachelet just ten minutes before her term in office was due to end.
Bachelet came under immense pressure over the report. She said last week a group of 40 governments had sent her a letter urging her not to publish it, according to the DPA.

"The extent of arbitrary and discriminatory detention of members of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups ... may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," the report notes.
The report concludes that from 2017 to 2019 and potentially thereafter, people were deprived of fundamental rights.
Uyghurs urge UN rights chief Bachelet to ask hard questions in Xinjiang region
Hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other members of minority groups have been put into forced re-education camps, according to rights groups and Uighurs who have fled China. Beijing has rejected allegations of rights abuses and called them lies.
The UN report was supposed to be published last year but Bachelet delayed its release because she was in talks with China for months to be allowed to travel to the country.
The trip happened in June under the conditions that Bachelet and her office could decide where she would go and who she would speak to without supervision from authorities.
UN rights envoy Michelle Bachelet defends controversial China visit
China agreed to the demands, her office said. Bachelet travelled to Xinjiang, but by the end of the trip she refrained from criticizing the Chinese government's actions in the region, which prompted international criticism of her.
Bachelet took up the top UN rights post in 2018. She did not seek a second term. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has not yet named a successor.
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- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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