China has imposed sanctions on nine UK citizens in total - including the five parliamentarians - who are among its most vocal critics and support Uighur Muslims besides human rights of other persecuted minorities. In response, five UK parliamentarians sanctioned by China have released a joint statement vowing to "redouble" their efforts to campaign against human rights abuses.
Three MPs, including ex-Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, and two peers said the action by China was an attempt to stifle "free and open debate".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he "stands firmly" with those targeted by China for criticising its treatment of the Uighur people. The sanctions follow similar moves by the UK, US, Canada and the EU on China.
Now, Sir Iain, along with MPs Nusrat Ghani and Tim Loughton, and the peers Lord Alton and Baroness Kennedy, said, "The sanctions have unmasked the Chinese Communist Party. These actions are not only an attack on us as individuals but an attempt to stifle the free and open debate that is at the heart of our parliamentary democracy."
The group added that "intimidation" would only encourage them to "redouble" their efforts, as they pledged to continue advocating on behalf of "the Uighurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers and all other persecuted groups in China. These are the true victims of the Chinese government's authoritarian rule, not us."
