Uighurs Fight for Freedom to Overcome China’s Oppression
By: Sarah G
Background Information: The Uighurs, also known as Uyghurs, are a predominantly Muslim minority in China and a Turkish-speaking ethnic group. A large population of Uighurs live in the Xinjiang region, as they originated from here. The Chinese government, or the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has detained many Uighurs in detention camps. The CCP calls the camps re-education camps. There is intense torture and suppression of the Uighurs with over 1 million detained in detention camps. Uighurs are stripped of basic human rights, dehumanized, forced against their will to obey all commands, including those that take away vital aspects of their religion. China’s goal is for the Uighurs to “renounce their religion and culture” to create cultural unity and to maintain total power over the country (Fair Planet). The United States has stated that China’s inhumane treatment of Uighurs constitutes genocide. The brutal treatment of the Uighurs of China, denying them fundamental rights, has brought the Uighurs and their supporters together, intending to free the Uighurs from their plight.
Why Uighurs are Targeted: “China claims that Uighurs hold extremist views that are a threat to security” (PBS News Hour). Additionally, the Chinese government does not want outside religions to encourage separatism. With this, due to their religious beliefs, Uighurs are persecuted and endure brutal treatment from the CCP.
Uighurs’ Conditions: The Uighurs endure countless unbearable and dehumanizing conditions.
· Uighurs endure torture, forced labor, and forced sterilization.
· Uighurs are kept under high surveillance, sleep-deprived (during interrogation), brainwashed, and sexually abused.
· Uighurs are forced to disobey core religious beliefs and are extremely restricted from practicing their religion. For example, the CCP has made them drink alcohol and eat pork.
· Uighur families are separated, taking away an important support system.
· Uighurs are forced to “sing praises for communism and learn Mandarin,” vying with their religious beliefs(CFR).
What has Been Done: There has been some success for the Uighurs and the international community in fighting back and spreading the word.
· Activists have set up petitions to promote awareness and bring about change. Among other petitions, a petition on change.org called “Stand Up For The Uyghur Muslims In China” was created. (You can find it here: https://www.change.org/p/stand-up-for-the-uyghur-muslims-in-china-antonioguterres-amnesty-un)
· The president of the World Uyghur Congress and an activist in the Uyghur Autonomous Region of China, Dolkun Isa, coordinates resistance to the CCP.
· Word of the harsh treatment Uighurs endure has spread through social media, news articles, and more, sparking motivation for change.
Many people, worldwide, have united with a shared desire for change yet China remains a formidable force and there is much work to be done.
What You Can Do:
· You can sign petitions, such as the one mentioned above (https://www.change.org/p/stand-up-for-the-uyghur-muslims-in-china-antonioguterres-amnesty-un), to display support and to advocate for change for the Uighurs. Here is another petition: https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-petition-to-free-to-muslims-in-chinese-concentration-camps
· You can become more educated on this topic by reading articles, listening to podcasts, and more. Further educating yourself will allow you to have the correct information that you can share with others.
· You can help spread the word of dehumanizing treatment of Uighurs. This can be as simple as sharing with your family, friends, or those close to you, or you can share more publicly.
Works Cited
Maizland, Lindsay. “China’s Repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.” Council on Foreign Relations, 1 Mar. 2021, www.cfr.org/backgrounder/chinas-repression-uyghurs-xinjiang. Accessed 2 Dec. 2021.
Oded, Yair. “PETITION: STAND UP FOR UYGHUR MUSLIMS IN CHINA.” Fair Planet, Fairplanet, 30 Mar. 2020, www.fairplanet.org/story/petition-stand-up-for-uyghur-muslims-in-china/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2021.
Wardak, Nawid, and Mischa Ushakov. “Stand Up For The Uyghur Muslims In China.” Change.org, www.change.org/p/stand-up-for-the-uyghur-muslims-in-china-antonioguterres-amnesty-un. Accessed 2 Dec. 2021.
World Uyghur Congress. “Dolkun Isa.” World Uyghur Congress, www.uyghurcongress.org/en/staff/dolkun-isa/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2021.
