Xinjiang genocide conference aims to up pressure on China

LONDON (AP) — Leading scholars and lawyers are joining politicians and human rights groups in Britain for the first large-scale conference to discuss the Chinese government’s alleged genocide against the Uyghur ethnic group in the northwest Xinjiang region. The three-day conference at Newcastle University brings together dozens of speakers, including senior British judges and lawmakers, and is the first to gather so many experts on Xinjiang and genocide. It is the latest move aiming to hold China accountable for alleged rights abuses against the Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim and Turkic minorities. Speakers will cover evidence of alleged atrocities targeting the Uyghurs including forced labor, forced birth control and religious suppression. China strongly rejects the allegations.