Impose sanctions on China over its treatment of Uyghur Muslims
The Parliament petitions site records 146,345 signatures for this petition, which closed on 6 September 2020. The Government responded on 28 July 2020. MPs debated it in Westminster Hall on 12 October 2020.
The petition
The petition's creator is not named in the Petitions site's published record. Quoted in full from the UK Parliament petitions site.
Impose sanctions on China over its treatment of Uyghur Muslims
The UK Government plans to introduce “Magnitsky law”, a law which targets people who commit gross human rights violations. Through this law or alternative means, this petition urges the UK Government to impose sanctions on China for their human rights violations on the Uyghur people.
Since 2017, there have been many reports of the “cultural genocide” of Uyghur Muslims, a minority Turkic ethnic group native to Xinjiang, China. They are subject to mass detention, mass surveillance, restriction of religious and cultural identities, as well as other gross human rights abuses. Over a million Uyghurs have been forced into "re-education" camps.
In front of the United Nations in October 2019, pressure was placed on China regarding the treatment of Uyghurs during a joint statement from 23 countries. Despite this statement and growing public awareness, nothing substantial or concrete has been done to resolve the crisis and help the Uyghur people.
The Government's response
The Government published its response on 28 July 2020; the petitions site lists the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office as responsible. Its summary:
We have grave concerns about the gross human rights abuses being perpetrated in Xinjiang. But it is not appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations, as this may reduce their impact.
The opening 386 words of the 552-word response:
On 6 July, the Government established the Global Human Rights (‘Magnitsky’) sanctions regime by laying regulations in Parliament under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. In a statement to Parliament, the Foreign Secretary set out in full the scope of the UK’s new Global Human Rights sanctions regime. He announced the first tranche of designations, as well as the Government’s approach to future designations.
This sanctions regime will give the UK a powerful new tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. The sanctions regime is not intended to target individual countries. It will allow for sanctions to be imposed on individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations or abuses around the world.
We will continue to consider potential designations under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime, but it is not appropriate to speculate about who we may be considering, as to do so may reduce the impact of those future designations.
As the Foreign Secretary said in the House of Commons on 20 July, we have been clear about our grave concerns regarding the gross human rights abuses being perpetrated against the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. This includes the extra-judicial detention of over a million Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in “political re-education camps”, systematic restrictions on Uyghur culture and the practice of Islam, and extensive and invasive surveillance targeting minorities.
Reports indicating that forced labour is being used and children are being forcibly separated from their parents add to the growing body of evidence about the disturbing situation that Uyghurs and other minorities are facing in Xinjiang.
Since 2018, the UK has played a leading role in drawing attention to the deeply concerning situation in Xinjiang, working with international partners in relevant UN bodies such as the UN Human Rights Council. As the petition notes, in October 2019, the UK’s Permanent Representative led a statement raising concerns about the situation on behalf of 23 countries at the UN Third Committee.
On 30 June at the most recent UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the UK led a formal Joint Statement with the support of 27 international partners, setting out our deep concern both on Hong Kong, and the situation in Xinjiang. This statement, delivered through UK leadership, underlines the strength and breadth of international concern.
Read the full response on the petitions site.
Where the signatures came from
Signatures came from 650 constituencies on the boundaries used until the 2024 general election. The largest number, 1,509, came from Cities of London and Westminster.
139,772 of the signatures were from the UK and 6,573 from elsewhere, by the location signers gave.
| Constituency | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Cities of London and Westminster | 1,509 |
| Finchley and Golders Green | 1,281 |
| Hendon | 912 |
| Hornsey and Wood Green | 885 |
| Bethnal Green and Bow | 881 |
| Poplar and Limehouse | 870 |
| Hampstead and Kilburn | 849 |
| Holborn and St Pancras | 814 |
| Ilford South | 753 |
| Chipping Barnet | 687 |
| Region | Signatures |
|---|---|
| London | 37,161 |
| South East | 20,610 |
| North West | 13,413 |
| East of England | 12,931 |
| South West | 9,946 |
| West Midlands | 9,733 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 8,798 |
| East Midlands | 7,260 |
| Scotland | 7,225 |
| Wales | 4,338 |
| North East | 3,598 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,663 |
Debate in Parliament
MPs debated the petition in Westminster Hall on 12 October 2020. Read the debate in Hansard. House of Commons Library debate pack.
Source and receipt
- https://petition.parliament.uk/archived/petitions/300146.jsonUK Parliament Petitions API · read 2026-10-15 · SHA-256
d493d695f6cd51ef… - The petition on petition.parliament.uk
The petition's words are its creator's and the response is the Government's; this site quotes both and gives no view on either. Signature counts can still change while a petition is open. To report an error, send a correction request.