Crimes Against the Uyghurs in China
There are long standing allegations of human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in China and a new report highlights religious intolerance. The Congressional Research Service says, "By some estimates, between 2017 and 2020, Xinjiang authorities arbitrarily detained roughly 1.5 million Turkic Muslims, mostly Uyghurs and a smaller number of ethnic Kazakhs, in 're-education' centers." What can we do to help?
More about the Uyghurs.
An estimated 12 million Uyghurs (pronounced several ways, including "wee-goors," and also spelled as "Uighurs") live in the vast desert of the northwestern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China. Given their close proximity to Central Asia, they have historically identified with the cultures of their neighbors, including Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and their language is similar to Turkish. As an autonomous region, XUAR should have some self-governing authority but the BBC notes that the region faces "major restrictions by the central government."
Crimes against humanity?
Around 20% of the world's cotton is from Xinjiang and a 2020 report from the Center for Global Policy indicates that the crop is likely "tainted with forced labor." In addition to labor trafficking, the Chinese government has been accused of grave reproductive rights abuses against women in the Uyghur community. An AP investigation suggests that forced birth control is "far more widespread and systematic than previously known." The government also allegedly forces sterilizations and abortions. Uyghurs can be detained or fined for having "too many" children and police check their homes to look for children they may be hiding. Adrian Zenz, a leading scholar on the subject, says this is “demographic genocide.”
New reports of religious intolerance.
Yesterday, the BBC reported on the Uyghur Rights Group's new research which alleges that since 2014, China "has imprisoned or detained at least 630 imams and other Muslim religious figures." Of those detained, 18 clerics have reportedly died in detention or soon after being released. Clerics face charges such as "propagating extremism" and "gathering a crowd to disturb social order." Their families disagree with those claims.
Voice your support for Uyghurs. And, speak up against forced labor and women's reproductive rights violations. In a divided U.S. Congress, there is strong bipartisan support for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. Reintroduced this year, the bill would forbid the importation of any goods produced by forced labor in China. Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) said “Goods made with forced labor have no place on U.S. store shelves.” Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) added that “Our legislation is desperately needed to show support for the suffering Uyghur community in China.” To voice your support to members of Congress, find your Representatives here and your Senators here.