China expresses concerns over Indigenous women's rights in U.S., Canada, Australia

China on Monday expressed its concerns over violations of rights of the Indigenous women and girls in the United States, Canada and Australia.

A Chinese delegation made clear the stance when speaking at an interactive dialogue following the presentation of a report by Reem Aslam, UN's special rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, during the ongoing 50th regular session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

In her report, the special rapporteur pointed out the violence the Indigenous women involved in politics in the U.S. have been subjected to, the obstacles for Indigenous women and girls in the U.S. to seek justice, the high incarceration rate of Indigenous women in Australia, the genocide Canada has committed against its Indigenous population and the gender discrimination in the Indian Act of Canada.

Citing such violations of human rights, the Chinese delegation expressed grave concerns.

The U.S., Canada and Australia have a long history of adopting policies of ethnic cleansing and cultural genocide against their Indigenous peoples, and serious and systematic racial discrimination still exists today, said the Chinese delegation, adding that the Indigenous women and girls in these countries are oppressed, discriminated against, and at serious risk of violence.

China urges these countries to face up to historical crimes and today's problems, take practical measures to eliminate discrimination and violence against Indigenous women and girls, conduct investigations into violent acts to hold perpetrators accountable, and offer relief and compensation to victims, the delegation said.

The Chinese side calls on the UN human rights mechanisms to keep paying attention to the aforementioned issues, it added.