Uyghur Groups Accuse Labour of Betrayal Over Lammy’s Obsequious China Visit
Last week, David Lammy was shaking hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the same man who denied allegations of Chinese genocide against the Uyghurs, claiming accusations were “ridiculously absurd” and “a complete lie.” Now Uyghur groups have blasted Labour for “falling behind” its allies to stand up to China…
One leading Uyghur activist, Rahima Mahmut, slammed Lammy’s visit:
“The Conservative governments all those years [had] big words but very little action. But, sadly, after Labour came into power I didn’t even hear big words. I am very, very disappointed, the community is very disappointed. At the moment [the] UK is falling behind.”
Mahmut isn’t the only one who’s furious over Labour’s notably softer stance on China since coming into government. The UK Uyghur Community group tells Guido:
“Lots of promises were made – now we can see the opposite is happening. The entire diaspora is concerned. A trading mission is a cause for concern. The new government hasn’t taken action [on Uyghurs].”
On entering government Lammy conspicuously refused to honour his promise of accusing the Chinese of genocide before initiating talks with the country’s Foreign Ministry in July, culminating in his cosy visit last week. He jetted off before Labour’s promised “full audit across Whitehall” of the UK’s relationship with China, and the government is still refusing to explain what its status is. Human rights activists are lining up to attack Labour while the Chinese state media lathers praise on Lammy…
