321 rights groups and other organisations on Wednesday called on the United Nations to launch an investigation into “the Chinese government’s human rights violations”.

“The international community can no longer sit back and allow the Chinese authorities to trample on human rights at home and abroad”, the NGOs said in an open letter to UN chief Antonio Guterres, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet and member states.

The groups highlighted Beijing’s rights violations in , Tibet and against the in Xinjiang, as well as suppression of vital information for the pandemic. They also pointed out internet censorship, digital surveillance, as well as attacks on rights defenders, journalists, lawyers and government critics across China.

“Its support for dictators and efforts to rewrite international standards are making the work of defending human rights harder than ever”, the letter said.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in response that the claims are “groundless and not worth refuting”.

The letter also called on the Human Rights Council to evaluate China’s rights violations, and to establish an “impartial and independent UN mechanism to closely monitor, analyse and report annually on the topic.”