Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
Welcome to “Eyes On,” a series from AAOP that provides compact rundowns of important conflicts or crises in our global community.
As engaged youth, it can be hard to stay informed about all that is worth knowing. We hope this series can provide user-friendly but well-rounded summaries of events, and empower youth readers to knowledgeably take action in our world. Check out all our “Eyes On” installments at https://aaopmn.com/tag/eyes-on/
Content warning: The following piece (and particularly the links included) contains descriptions of physical, sexual, and/or psychological violence and brutality perpetrated by the Chinese government against Uyghurs.
1. Xinjiang is the largest region of China, located in its northwest corner. Officially, Xinjiang is supposed to be somewhat independent from China, but in practice the central Chinese government has been subjecting Xinjiang and its 12 million Uyghur Muslims to an intense campaign of cultural and literal genocide.
2. The human rights abuses committed in Xinjiang against Uyghurs almost feel like too much to take in. But to attempt a summary, the Chinese government has been forcibly detaining Uyghurs for years, sending them to “re-education” camps where survivors have alleged they experienced cultural erasure, abuse, torture, systemic rape, and forced labor. Within and without the camps, the Chinese government is trying to limit the growth of the Uyghur population by conducting a campaign of mass sterilizations and forced IUDs. Additionally, Xinjiang and specifically Uyghur homes and places of worship have been subjected to mass surveillance. Effectively, Uyghurs are being spied on, culturally suppressed, physically and/or sexually attacked, and wrongfully imprisoned.
3. Unsurprisingly, the human rights outrage being perpetrated in Xinjiang hasn’t gone unnoticed internationally. The Chinese government has faced harsh condemnation from people, companies, and governments across the world. However, many corporations and governments in particular have not been able, or willing for fear of Chinese diplomatic and commercial sway, to turn their outrage into real action.
4. However, the Chinese government itself has recently taken steps to change its tactics in Xinjiang. Many of the “re-education” camps have shuttered their doors, and some of the most visible signs of surveillance have disappeared. However, this shouldn’t be mistaken as an end to the oppression. The government has simply entered a subtler new phase of their homogenizing mission in Xinjiang. Chillingly, some international reporters believe that this is because the government believes they have largely succeeded in crushing Uyghur resistance.
1. One aspect of the new reality in Xinjiang is a rise in cultural tourism. In a dark twist, the Chinese government is now marketing a sanitized version of Uyghur culture they tried to extinguish. This means that the streets of Xinjiang are now filled with a rather dystopian sight: Uyghur performers cheerfully sharing their culture at the behest of, and for the benefit of, the government that has been terrorizing them for years.
2. Human rights experts also fear that the end of the “re-education” camps means the beginning of long term incarcerations. For people imprisoned within the camps, their stay was usually temporary. They were released when their jailers deemed them appropriately assimilated. But for those who have not yet been released, their time as prisoners may be more indefinite. And even for those not incarcerated, the stark toll of these last years of torture is clear and will likely have profound mental and physical health affects.
1. Keep your eyes on Xinjiang: The Chinese government would like to sweep their crimes under the rug and present a friendly, assimilated front to the world. As international witnesses and fellow human beings, it is our job to call them out on these lies. The situation in Xinjiang is still a human rights catastrophe, and until Uyghurs and all other ethnic minorities in China can live without fear, we must hold the Chinese government to account.
2. Boycott companies using Xinjiang cotton: One of the most notable things about Xinjiang is that it is a major exporter of cotton. When the Chinese government’s human rights abuses became clear, including the use of forced Uyghur labor in Xinjiang to make cotton, many Western companies were pressured into boycotting Xinjiang cotton by outraged consumers. However, the outrage has gone both ways. Within China, one of the most profitable markets globally, many folks don’t have access to real information about what is happening in Xinjiang because the state controls the media. Therefore, some Chinese consumers saw the boycotts of Xinjiang cotton as an insult to China, and they decided to boycott the boycotting companies. Because of what this means for their bottom line, some companies started to buckle and take back their boycotts of Xinjiang cotton, despite knowing that it is made through forced labor. As US consumers, we have to continue to hold these companies to account on our end by withholding our dollars from companies that use Xinjiang cotton.
3. Support Uyghur Organizations: We recommend starting with the Uyghur American Association and its research-focused spinoff organization Uyghur Human Rights Project. But there are many amazing Uyghur advocacy groups globally, and giving them our well-deserved support is crucial as they fight for the future of their people and their culture.
Note
There are several different recognized spellings of “Uyghur” including Uighur, Uygher, Uygur, and Uigur. We have chosen to use “Uyghur” in this piece, following the lead of the spelling used by the Uyghur American Association.
Sources
BBC, “Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?”, BBC, 21 June 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Bhuiyan, Johana, “‘There’s cameras everywhere’: testimonies detail far-reaching surveillance of Uyghurs in China”, Guardian, 30 Sept 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/30/uyghur-tribunal-testimony-surveillance-china. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Chang, Ailsa; Sirianni, Anna; Jarrenwattananon, Jared, “New Report Details Firsthand Accounts Of Torture From Uyghur Muslims In China”, NPR, 10 June 2021. https://www.npr.org/2021/06/10/1005263835/new-report-details-firsthand-accounts-of-torture-from-uyghur-muslims-in-china. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Davidson, Helen, “China breaching every article in genocide convention, says legal report on Uighurs”, Guardian, 9 Mar 2021. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/09/chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-breaches-un-genocide-convention-finds-landmark-report. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Friedman, Vanessa; Paton, Elizabeth, “What Is Going On With China, Cotton and All of These Clothing Brands?”, New York Times, 29 Mar 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/style/china-cotton-uyghur-hm-nike.html. Accessed 26 Oct 2021.
Hill, Matthew; Campanale, David; Gunter, Joel, “’Their goal is to destroy everyone’: Uighur camp detainees allege systematic rape”, BBC, 2 Feb 2021. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-55794071. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Kang, Dake, “Terror and tourism: Xinjiang eases its grip but fear remains”, AP News, 10 Oct 2021, https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-lifestyle-china-health-travel-7a6967f335f97ca868cc618ea84b98b9. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Kirby, Jen, “China’s brutal crackdown on the Uighur Muslim minority, explained”, Vox, 6 Nov 2018, https://www.vox.com/2018/8/15/17684226/uighur-china-camps-united-nations. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Paton, Elizabeth; Ramzy, Austin, “Coalition Brings Pressure to End Forced Uighur Labor”, New York Times, 23 July 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/23/fashion/uighur-forced-labor-cotton-fashion.html. Accessed 26 Oct 2021.
Samuel, Segal, “China’s genocide against the Uyghurs, in 4 disturbing charts”, Vox, 10 Mar 2021. https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/22311356/china-uyghur-birthrate-sterilization-genocide. Accessed 25 Oct 2021.
Serhan, Yasmeen, “Saving Uighur Culture From Genocide”, Atlantic, 4 Oct 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/10/chinas-war-on-uighur-culture/616513/ Accessed 25 Oct 2021.