The United Nations General Assembly allowed multiple countries with documented instances of human rights abuses into the organization’s human rights council on Tuesday.
The international group’s general assembly issued votes to allow China and Cuba into the human rights council, despite both countries having sites of human rights atrocities committed by communist authoritarian governments. Cuba received 170 votes out of 192 possible ballots, while China received 139 votes. Pakistan and Russia were also voted to the council.
U.N. General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir congratulated the countries on social media.
I congratulate:
Côte d’Ivoire ??
Gabon ??
Malawi ??
Senegal ??
China ??
Nepal ??
Pakistan ??
Uzbekistan ??
Russia ??
Ukraine ??
Bolivia ??
Cuba ??
Mexico ??
France ??
United Kingdom ??
For your election as members of the @UN Human Rights Council— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) October 13, 2020
Many lawmakers have been critical of China for engaging in coercive population control measures, such as forced abortions, involuntary sterilization, and other practices, in the Xinjiang region. Xinjiang, China, is the site of reported re-education camps that target Uighur Muslims.
The Chinese government “detained more than one million Uighurs, ethnic Kazakhs, Hui, and members of other Muslim groups, as well as some Uighur Christians,” according to a State Department report issued in 2019. The report outlines a variety of human rights abuses, including forced labor and mandatory sterilization.
In Cuba, where the only legally recognized political party is the Communist Party, dissidents are often silenced and imprisoned, while journalists, artists, and some activists were allegedly detained for exercising free expression. Florida Sen. Rick Scott said Cuba’s admission to the human rights council is “outrageous.”
“The @UN Human Rights Council must be confused about their purpose – to promote and protect human rights across the globe,” Scott wrote in a tweet. “Allowing #Cuba, an oppressive and murderous regime, to be a member of the council is outrageous and validates their vile treatment of the people of Cuba.”
The @UN Human Rights Council must be confused about their purpose – to promote and protect human rights across the globe.
Allowing #Cuba, an oppressive and murderous regime, to be a member of the council is outrageous and validates their vile treatment of the people of Cuba. https://t.co/hsZHV0KELp
— Rick Scott (@SenRickScott) October 13, 2020
Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said the decision to vote in the countries proved the council was a “total farce.”
“China, Russia and Cuba win seats on the UN Human Rights Council. I said it then and will continue to say it now, the UN Human Rights Council is a total farce not worthy of its name or the United States giving it any credibility,” Haley tweeted.
China, Russia and Cuba win seats on the UN Human Rights Council. I said it then and will continue to say it now, the UN Human Rights Council is a total farce not worthy of its name or the United States giving it any credibility.https://t.co/HMUB90dfMJ
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 13, 2020
