Uyghur Tribunal: Another Farce in the Making
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CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, June 16, 2021 | 9 COMMENTHK Uyghur Tribunal: Another farce in the making Grenville Cross says the tribunal’s proclaimed independence begs the question of why so many organizations hostile to China, all with vested interests, are so heavily involved behind the scenes n London, from June 4-7, sev- human rights issues in Xinjiang”. Although money the NED has pumped into the Rogers, moreover, by making him a patron, eral hearings were held by a this cannot have pleased either of them, the World Uyghur Congress, has a direct inter- has already tied Nice to Hong Kong Watch’s self-appointed tribunal into obvious thing for them to have done, given est in the outcome of Nice’s inquiry into shirttails, the tribunal he is chairing is alleged genocide and human that justice must always be seen to be done, the Uyghurs, in exactly the same way that hopelessly compromised, and anything it rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang would have been to recuse themselves from Stand with Hong Kong had a direct interest produces cannot be taken seriously. region. It plans to reconvene Grenville Cross the tribunal, but this has not happened. in the outcome of the APPG inquiry into Indeed, although the tribunal proclaims for further hearings between The author is a senior counsel, law The impression, therefore, that they have a the Hong Kong Police Force. At this point, that its proceedings are conducted “in Sept 10-13, and to issue its conclusions by professor and criminal justice analyst, grudge against the country they are investi- the plot becomes yet more intriguing, as accordance with international law and Iyear’s end. These hearings, however, are not and was previously the director of public gating is inescapable, although this is by no the tribunal has also revealed that it was international legal norms”, anybody tun- being held under the auspices of either the prosecutions of the Hong Kong SAR. means all. launched “on 3 September 2020, with assis- ing in to watch its proceedings would have International Criminal Court or the Inter- On June 4, Benedict Rogers, the serial tance from a non-governmental organiza- been startled at its cavalier approach to evi- national Court of Justice, but are the work With (Benedict) Rogers fantasist who runs Hong Kong Watch, the tion, the Coalition for Genocide Response”. dentiary issues. Questioners, for example, of a group of freelancers whose views on propaganda outfi t which specializes in This coalition was founded by the Benedict repeatedly put the answers they wanted China are already well-known. pulling the strings, it (Hong churning out fallacies about China, claimed Rogers’ protege and Hong Kong Watch to hear into the mouths of witnesses, and The tribunal is chaired by Sir Geo rey Kong Watch) provides plat- that it was he who had introduced Nice functionary, Luke Pulford, who also has the rule which inhibits the use of hearsay Nice QC, a British barrister, with Nick forms for Sinophobes like to the Uyghurs, some two and a half years close links to Stand with Hong Kong. And evidence was routinely fl outed. Much of Vetch, a businessman, as his vice-chairman. previously. He has, moreover, clearly taken who should be the patron of the Coalition the “evidence” was simply read out, and It has also recruited Baroness Helena Ken- (Chris) Patten, lionizes fugi- a shine to Nice, as he recently appointed for Genocide Response but David Alton, incoherences were left unexplored for fear nedy QC, a human rights lawyer, to be its tive criminals like Ted Hui him a Hong Kong Watch patron, alongside the Hong Kong Watch patron, who visited of undermining credibility. Not much was Hong Kong in November 2019 on a freebie expected of the tribunal, but it could at “External Advisor”. Nice and Vetch have Chi-fung, uses proxies like the likes of the rabid China basher and for- previously worked closely together, and mer governor, Chris Patten. But things go funded by Stand with Hong Kong, and least have respected its own ground rules. also in relation to China. In 2019, they (Luke) Pulford to create an- deeper than this, as another of its patrons now apparently hopes, on the back of the Nonetheless, Nice has indicated that the both sat on the so-called “China Tribunal”, ti-China front organizations, is Lord (David) Alton, whose name will Uyghurs, to reprise his role in the APPG tribunal’s judgment is not preordained. also chaired by Nice, and to which China forever be linked with the now-infamous scandal. His hands, however, are tied by those strongly objected. Then, as now, the tribu- and makes titled dupes like report on the Hong Kong Police Force, It was, therefore, wholly unsurpris- who expect him to deliver the fi ndings nal was devoid of o cial status, although (David) Alton available to which the All-Party Parliamentary Group ing that, on Sept 23, 2020, in the House they want. Indeed, in December, Rahima this did not prevent it from producing a provide an aura of respect- on Hong Kong, of which he is a vice-chair, of Lords, Alton asked the British foreign Mahmut, the UK representative of the damning report which accused China of produced in 2020. o ce minister, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, if the World Uyghur Congress, made clear that forced organ harvesting from prisoners of ability to otherwise nonde- To recap, the APPG, which, despite government would “welcome” the initia- he wants the British government to sanc- conscience. script entities. Since Rogers, its name, has no o cial standing, was tive to set up the “Uyghur Tribunal”, and tion Chinese o cials, saying “I hope it is China, however, saw things somewhat moreover, by making him established on Nov 5, 2019, and it then “cooperate” with it. Although the minister’s a matter of time”. And, given the money di erently, and declined to cooperate with announced it would hold an inquiry into reply was non-committal, the tribunal his organization has given the tribunal, he the “China Tribunal”. Its London embassy a patron, has already tied the police force’s handling of medical work- has since thanked the government for clearly expects Nice to come up with the denied the allegations, insisting that the (Geoffrey) Nice to Hong ers during the Hong Kong protests. Once, fast-tracking visas for foreign nationals to goods. Once it does, he hopes to try to force however, the inquiry was established, attend the tribunal. Given Alton’s links with the government’s hand on sanctions, a pos- Chinese government followed World Kong Watch’s shirttails, the Health Organization principles on human researchers discovered that the APPG was Hong Kong Watch, the extent to which it is sibility the tribunal also envisages. transplants, and that, under Chinese law, tribunal he is chairing is being covertly funded by Stand with Hong covertly involved in the tribunal should not The tribunal has indicated that, once its human organ donations must “be done hopelessly compromised, Kong, an anti-police body with close ties to be underestimated, particularly as its CEO, judgment is delivered, “whatever it may be”, voluntarily and gratis”. The embassy, more- both the protest movement and Hong Kong Benedict Rogers, is also an adviser to the it will be for states, international institu- over, expressed the hope that “the British and anything it produces Watch. Since he who pays the piper calls the World Uyghur Congress, which completes tions, commercial companies, art, medical people will not be misled by rumors”. cannot be taken seriously. tune, Stand with Hong Kong expected the the circle. and educational institutions, to decide how Once again, aping international nomen- APPG to produce a damning report, and it Hong Kong Watch, moreover, despite its to apply it in their dealings with China. clature, those inquiring into the Xinjiang got exactly what it had paid for. Indeed, the name, is now operating on various fronts, This, it explains, “would include, but is situation have grandly styled themselves bona fi des, China has refused to have any APPG’s report, which maligned a brave and increasingly unrelated to Hong Kong, but not limited to, trade and other sanctions, the “Uyghur Tribunal” (the tribunal). truck with it, with the Foreign Ministry professional body of men and women, was, which all have China animosity at their including against individuals, proscribing Although Nice says the tribunal plans to spokesman, Wang Wenbin, saying it is by any yardstick, a travesty of justice, and core. It was instrumental, for example, in the sale of technologies, surveillance and “review evidence” and then “reach a judg- “neither legal nor credible”. Although he contemptuous of traditional British notions the creation in 2020 of the Inter-Parlia- medical equipment and the declaration ment”, it has no legal standing and no describes the tribunal as “just another anti- of fair play. That unsavory episode leads mentary Alliance on China (IPAC), that of ineligibility for visas”. If ever there was enforcement powers. He says, nonetheless, China farce concocted by a few individuals”, inexorably into the question of who is fund- now spans 11 countries and parliaments, a classic instance of “nudge, nudge, wink, that “what we hope to achieve is to provide both Nice and Vetch have claimed it will be ing Nice’s inquiry, and at this point foreign and seeks to pressure governments into wink”, this must be it. If, therefore, Nice can facts that others may use”. Indeed, if his fairly conducted. Whereas Nice insists that money again rears its ugly head. adopting policies hostile to China.