AMSTERDAM (REUTERS) – The Netherlands’ parliament on Thursday (Feb 25) passed a non-binding motion saying that the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in China amounts to genocide, the first European country to make such a statement.

“A genocide on the Uighur minority is occurring in China,”the motion said, stopping short of directly saying that the country’s government was responsible.

Canada passed a resolution labelling China’s treatment of the Uighurs genocide earlier this week.

The Dutch motion said that actions by the Chinese government such as “measures intended to prevent births” and “having punishment camps” fell under United Nations Resolution 260, generally known as the genocide convention.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s conservative VVD party voted against the resolution, which did not recommend the Cabinet take any specific action.

A spokesman for the government said it would respond to the motion later on Thursday.

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