UK lawmakers declare China's treatment of Uyghurs is genocide

British lawmakers have unanimously declared China's ongoing crackdown in Xinjiang a genocide, joining the United States, Canada and the Netherlands in condemning Beijing's actions against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in the far-west region in the strongest possible terms.

China has been accused of detaining up to 2 million people in a system of camps set up across Xinjiang in recent years, with survivors alleging widespread abuse, including brainwashing, torture, rape and forced labor. Beijing has denied the worst accusations, defending the system as a vocational training and deradicalization program vital to ensuring the region's security. Following a debate on Thursday, the House of Commons passed unopposed a non-binding resolution condemning "mass human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region."