China denounces people's tribunal on alleged Xinjiang abuses

China is denouncing plans for a people’s tribunal in Britain on allegations of genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region

BEIJING -- China on Tuesday denounced plans for a people’s tribunal in Britain on allegations of genocide against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim people in China's Xinjiang region. The spokesman for the northwestern region’s government, Xu Guixiang, said China “condemned and despised” the hearings, which are expected to draw dozens of witnesses when they begin in early June. The tribunal, which does not have government backing, is to be chaired by prominent lawyer Geoffrey Nice, who led the prosecution of ex-Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and worked with the International Criminal Court. “This is a total violation of international law and order, a serious desecration of the victims of real genocide, and a serious provocation to the 25 million people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang,” Xu told reporters at the latest in a series of briefings in Beijing intended to counter growing criticism of China's policies in Xinjiang.