DUP human rights MP on China–NI links: ‘Organ harvesting claims credible’

Strangford MP Jim Shannon was speaking to the News Letter after the university refused to divulge how much money it receives from the Chinese state.

The university has also refused to condemn Beijing’s racial / religious crackdown in Xinjiang province.

The Chinese regime has been targeting the Uyghur ethnic minority in the far west of the nation over the past few years, capturing civilians and herding them into concentration camps, for what some international campaign groups call “re-education”.

Internally, the Beijing regime says the actions are necessary to quell religious zealotry among the Muslim Uyghurs, and end any possible aspirations for independence.

Mr Shannon, who has been outspken on matters of religious freedom in recent years, said: “Ulster University has ethical standards.

“I have confidence that they would not want to want to turn a blind eye to activities which could potentially violate those standards.

“Therefore, given that Confucius Institutes are closely linked to the Chinese government – which has forcibly detained upwards of a million innocent people in concentration camps in the largest imprisonment of a religious group since WWII – I don’t think that simply saying ‘we have not raised any questions or concerns’ will be where the university wishes to stop with their obligation.

“We are talking about a government which stands credibly accused of forced organ harvesting, torture, sexual violence, forced sterilisation and mass surveillance on an enormous scale.

“I know that Ulster University and other institutions will want to delve deeper into how we can do our part in this awful scenario in the time that lies ahead.”

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