The Uighur Muslims are facing religious discrimination and persecution in China. There are currently one million Uighurs believe to be held in Chinese internment camps. How did this happen?
The Uighur Muslims live Xinjiang, the largest province in China with a population of eleven million. They have their own culture, language, food, and history. There has been a long history of tension between Xinjiang and China, with Xinjiang conducting protests and revolts in recent years. The Xinjiang region of China is economically important due to their railroad systems, oil pipeline systems, and the Silk Road Economic Belt. It is not a region China can afford to lose. Because of this, it is China’s most militarized region.
China has been accused of attempting to wipe out the Uighur culture in many ways including political indoctrination, forced labor, and forced sterilization. Some Uighurs have testified to being tortured physically and mentally. They are banned from celebrating their cultural festivals, wearing traditional dress and burqas, and must read the Chinese version of the Quran. Those who disobey are publicly shamed and sometimes executed. China has claimed that such camps are simply education camps and denies committing genocide, despite witness accounts, satellite imagery, and communist party documents. Recent documents shared by the BBC also show that Uighurs are executed if they are caught attempting to escape.
China has also been accused of mass sending the Uighur Muslims to factories to work in cruel working conditions. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute found that over 80 brands were benefitting from the forced labor of the Uighur Muslims, including popular name brands like Nike and Victoria’s Secret. Some of these brands have spoken out and claim to have no findings of forced labor.
In 2019, the actions taking place in China were brought to the United Nations in outrage. 22 spoke against China, while 37 defended them. Many countries defending China explain that they have the right to take “anti-terrorism actions”. China shows journalists the inside of the camps to see Uighurs dancing and singing and being “led away from extremism”.
These crimes are atrocious and a violation of human rights. You can take a stand against this genocide by contacting congress and representatives. It is also imperative not to buy products from the aforementioned 80 companies that are actively benefiting from the exploitation of the Uighur Muslims. Most importantly, awareness must be spread in order for action to begin.