China’s propaganda machineuseHuman Rights organizations and activists estimated the visit of the UN High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet, considering that the trip served to whitewash the abuses committed by the Chinese government against minorities in the Xinjiang region.

It is “crystal clear” that China used his visit to “promote its own narrative and defend its poor balance in terms of human rights”said Alkan Akad of Amnesty International (AI) in China.

The goal was “show the world that China can bend a top human rights official to its will”, said Maya Wang, China researcher for Human Rights Watch.

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Bachelet’s long-planned trip took her to the country’s remote west, Xinjiang, where Beijing is accused of holding a million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in detention centers, sterilizing women and forcing these citizens to perform forced labour.

The United States and parliaments of other Western countries have denounced a “genocide”, Accusations vehemently denied by China, which claims that they are vocational training centers to keep the population away from separatism and extreme Islamism.

A “showcase”

Bachelet arrived in China closely watched by human rights groups, who considered that her trip would be part of an elaborate choreography of the Communist Party, which included a conversation with President Xi Jinping, later broadcast in the public media as support for the idea Chinese human rights.

Bachelet will give a press conference on Saturday, at the end of her trip, in which she will surely be questioned about the access she has had to the Uyghurs and to the detention centers in Xinjiang, in what will be her last chance during her stay in China to mention allegations of abuse.

Uyghur activist Rahima Mahmut, who lives in London, called the visit “showcase”. “It is not the neutral, independent and unrestricted investigation that we were promised”, he declared.

On the contrary, China wanted to achieve a “carte blanche to continue exercising repression, surveillance, torture and genocide against communities like mine”, he added.

Bachelet’s visit to Xinjiang is taking place for now in the midst of total discretion. The Chinese authorities, hiding behind the outbreak of coronavirus in the country, created a health bubble that keeps the High Commissioner away from the foreign press.

Neither have precise details been given about which places and facilities Bachelet has been able to visit.

Speak up or walk away

The person in charge has been in Xinjiang since Tuesday and her collaborators affirmed that she was going to visit the cities of Urumqi, the regional capital, and Kashgar.

The state media spread hollow information and extolled the positive meetings with Xi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Specifically, they stated that Bachelet had “admired Chinese efforts and achievements in human rights” during his meeting, by videoconference, with Xi.

A Bachelet spokesperson did not confirm the accuracy of these claims to AFP and there was subsequently a vague and confusing denial from the UN about these reports published by the Chinese media.

Uyghur activist Abduweli Ayup, who lives in Norway, told himself “disappointed” for the fact that Bachelet has allowed Beijing “will misunderstand” his words. “They have used it for their propaganda”, he told AFP.

Although it is not yet known what Bachelet saw in Xinjiang, images of her with a book of Xi’s comments on human rights during her visit to this region were released.

China rejects any criticism of its policies in this region and describes attempts to meddle in the reality of Xinjiang as interference.

The Chinese government has denied that Bachelet’s trip is an investigation and rather describes it as an opportunity to “clarify misinformation”.

It is the first trip to China by a top UN human rights official in 17 years and is the result of tough negotiations over the limits of this visit.

It is “dreamer” to think that China would not use this visit to “present your own version of the facts”, said Steve Tsang, director of the SOAS China Institute.

Bachelet “You have to have the political courage and integrity to speak out because your words and your visit are being distorted,” he said. And “if she’s not ready or able to do it, then she shouldn’t have come”, he added.