Japan Hails U.N. Report Pointing to Rights Abuse in Xinjiang

Tokyo, Sept. 1 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government "values" a U.N. report concluding that serious human rights violations have been committed in China's Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Thursday.

"We will urge China to provide transparent explanations and take positive and concrete actions," Matsuno told a press conference.

Gen Nakatani, special adviser to the prime minister for international human rights issues, told reporters that the report is "considerably credible" as it was released after on-site inspections and talks with related authorities.

In the report released Wednesday, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said: "Allegations of patterns of torture or ill-treatment, including forced medical treatment and adverse conditions of detention, are credible, as are allegations of individual incidents of sexual and gender-based violence."

The situation facing Uighurs and other ethnic minorities "may constitute international crimes, in particular crimes against humanity," the report said.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]