As part of the second week of HRP’s Human Rights Month, UVA Law was pleased to hear from two speakers on the current Chinese attempt at genocide of the Uyghur people. Zubayra Shamseden is a human rights activist, organizer, and Chinese Language Outreach Coordinator at the Uyghur Human Rights Project based in Washington D.C. Dolkun Isa is a widely-recognized political activist and current president of the World Uyghur Congress and recipient of the National Endowment for Democracy’s Democracy Award.
Pictured: Uyghur people protest outside the UN headquarters in Genevea in November 2018. Photo courtesy of: Salvatore Di Nolfi/EP
Who are the Uyghurs?
By the estimates of the Chinese government, the Uyghurs are 11 million strong and live in East Turkestan, otherwise known as the Xinjiang province of China. Uyghurs themselves estimate they number around 20 million people. Dating back to the 8th century, the Uyghurs have been predominantly Muslim, with traces of Christianity and Buddhism as well. They have their own language and customs, completely different than those in China. According to Ms. Shamseden, they are rather moderate Muslims.
What is Going On?
Much like Tibet, on paper, the East Turkestan region is independent from China. The reality is far from that. The Chinese government has employed several strategies, all with the goal of wiping out the Uyghur people, culture, and language and assimilating them into China. While China says they are employing bilingual education programs, in reality the education they use contains very little to none of the Uyghur people’s language. Additionally, while East Turkestan used to be over 90 percent Uyghur, the Chinese government has intentionally implanted Chinese people into the region so that it is now 50 percent Uyghur and 50 percent Chinese. While these attempts at getting rid of the Uyghur people are bad, it is no where close to the worst thing the Chinese government is doing.
An estimated 2-3 million Uyghur people are currently being detained in political “re-education camps.” These camps are numerous and located throughout China. As if there was any doubt of what goes on at these horrific sites, a single site was reported to have purchased 2,768 police batons and 550 electric cattle prods, among other things used for manipulation and torture. The people are typically kept alive, but are brutally dehumanized and tortured. The prisoners are taken from all walks of Uyghur life, including thousands of intellectuals that are currently detained or missing.
Uyghurs get detained and sent to camps for what the Chinese government dubs as examples of “extremism.” For instance, watching a Western movie could get you detained. Communicating with people outside of China or traveling outside of China can get you detained. Practicing the Islamic faith, even something so simple as owning a prayer mat, can get you detained. Refusing to allow government officials to sleep in your bed with you, eat your food, or live in your house? Detained. Reading up on Uyghur culture and history? Good luck at camp. Not only can all these things that we take for granted get you sent away to a “re-education” camp and tortured, but the Chinese government makes it hard to get away with any of these things through extensive surveillance. The minute you leave your house, you are being watched or followed, either by a person or by technology.
What Can We Do to Help?
The Uyghur people are being crushed and abused by China, and it won’t be too long before China’s forceful assimilation strategies wipe out the Uyghur people for good. Fortunately, there are some measures we can take to help, even as American law students. You can 1) Contact your senators and urge them to co-sponsor the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, 2) Sign various petitions (contact UVA Law’s HRP Rep. Alex Karahalios ([email protected]) for more details), including one to refuse to hold the Olympic Games in China in 2022 unless the camps are closed, or you can 3) donate to the UHRP. Every time there is a human rights crisis, the mantra is “never again.” Unfortunately, never again is happening right now to the Uyghur people, and it is now or never to respond.
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