Why India abstained from UNHRC vote to discuss China’s human rights violations in Xinjiang

The United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) put to vote a resolution to discuss China's human rights violations in the Xinjiang region on October 6, 2022. But the vote went in favour of China and the discussion was dropped. 

It sent shocks across the world that a vote to just hold a mere discussion on an issue was shot down. Amnesty International called it a failure of the UNHRC council to do its core mission.

#HRC51 | Draft resolution A/HRC/51/L.6 on holding a debate on the situation of human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of #China, was REJECTED. pic.twitter.com/ITbWnqQaKe

— UN Human Rights Council 📍 #HRC51 (@UN_HRC) October 6, 2022

So how did it all unravel?   

• The resolution was presented by the core group including Canada, the UK, the US, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Turkey. It was a Western push. 
• However, the resolution was rejected 19-17.
• Out of the 47-member council, 19 countries rejected the resolution, 17 accepted it, and 11 abstained from the vote. 
• Shockingly, among those who rejected the resolution were Indonesia, Qatar, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, UAE and Sudan. 
• It is shocking because China's alleged human rights violations are targetted at Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang region. 
• Moreover, among the countries that abstained from the vote were India and Ukraine. 

China winning the votes to stop UNHRC from debating the situation in Xinjiang doesn't really come to be as a surprise. It's been proven times without number that in the current world order, powerful countries can get away with almost anything. That's why for instance, Israel with

— Ãbdül (@datguyabdull) October 6, 2022

Why did India abstain?

• India did not give any reason why it abstained from the vote. Given the relations between China and India over the last few years, it was a surprise that New Delhi did not back a Western resolution against Beijing. 
• Hindustan Times reported that India's stand is in line with most country-specific resolutions like the China one. 
• Historically, India has either voted against or abstained from country-specific resolutions at the UNHRC. 
• Reports also said that China's presence at the UNHRC could also have impacted the decision as any support for the Xinjiang issue could have elicited a similar response by China on other issues.
• Ukraine's response also came as a surprise given the current geopolitical situation and the war with Russia. It is unknown why Ukraine did not support its allies in the war at the UNHRC and why it supported a nation friendly with its invader, Russia. However, in the bigger scenario, China can be a link to spark negotiations with Russia. 

Here is what China said after the resolution was rejected: 

The issues related to #Xinjiang are not about human rights, but bear on China’s sovereignty&territorial integrity. The US & several Western countries are pushing for a draft decision on XJ by dressing it up as a technical/procedural matter. This is extremely misleading & harmful.

— Hua Chunying 华春莹 (@SpokespersonCHN) October 5, 2022

Humans Rights violations in Xinjiang: Amnesty International reported that an OHCHR (UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights) report in August 2022 revealed the alleged patterns of "torture or other ill-treatment as well as incidents of sexual and gender-based violence" and "arbitrary and discriminatory detention" of Uyghur and other predominantly Muslim groups.

The alleged atrocities caught International attention from 2017. China is alleged to have cracked down against Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang under the pretense of fighting terrorism. 

"For Council member states to vote against even discussing a situation where the UN itself says crimes against humanity may have occurred makes a mockery of everything the Human Rights Council is supposed to stand for," Amnesty International said.