WION Gravitas: China is brainwashing more than a million Uighurs, families demand proof of life

China's state media has released a video it said proves <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-denies-holding-uighur-muslims-captive-159141">Uighur poet and musician Abdurehim</a> Heyit is alive&nbsp;after Turkey cited reports of his death in custody in a strongly worded condemnation of "human rights violations" in Xinjiang.

In the 26-second video posted online by China Radio International's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-a-great-embarrassment-for-humanity-turkey-196302">Turkish language service</a> late on Sunday, a man dressed in a grey sweater identifies himself as Heyit before declaring himself to be in "good health".

"Today is February 10, 2019," he said. "I'm in the process of being investigated for allegedly violating the national laws. I'm now in good health and have never been abused."

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

On Saturday, in a rare move, the Turkish foreign ministry called on China to close its internment camps for Muslims, saying the camps said to hold a million ethnic Uighurs are a "great shame for humanity".

That statement had come in response to a question about recent reports that Heyit, a well-known poet and musician, had died while in Chinese detention, having been "sentenced to eight years in prison for one of his songs".

"This tragedy has further reinforced the reaction of the Turkish public opinion towards serious human rights violations committed in the Xinjiang region," ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Sunday.

China's embassy in Ankara said Aksoy's accusations were false and urged the Turkish government to retract them.

Uighur diaspora activists said Heyit's body language and unnatural speech patterns in the video suggested his testimony may have been coerced and that even digital alteration could not be ruled out.

International rights groups say China routinely coerces detainees into making videotaped confessions which are then broadcast through state media to serve the government's propaganda objectives.

The Chinese foreign ministry and Xinjiang's regional government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday.

Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, scholars, foreign governments and UN rights experts over what they call mass detentions and strict surveillance of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority and other Muslim groups who call Xinjiang home.

China denied the existence of the so-called "re-education" facilities for months before saying they were in fact vocational training centres designed to combat religious extremism, and has increasingly been on the front foot in defending its actions.

China's state media has released a video it said proves Uighur poet and musician Abdurehim Heyit is alive after Turkey cited reports of his death in custody in a strongly worded condemnation of "human rights violations" in Xinjiang.

China's state media has released a video it said proves Uighur poet and musician Abdurehim Heyit is alive after Turkey cited reports of his death in custody in a strongly worded condemnation of "human rights violations" in Xinjiang. In the 26-second video posted online by China Radio International's Turkish language service late on Sunday, a man dressed in a grey sweater identifies himself as Heyit before declaring himself to be in "good health". "Today is February 10, 2019," he said. "I'm in the process of being investigated for allegedly violating the national laws. I'm now in good health and have never been abused." Reuters was unable to independently confirm the authenticity of the video. On Saturday, in a rare move, the Turkish foreign ministry called on China to close its internment camps for Muslims, saying the camps said to hold a million ethnic Uighurs are a "great shame for humanity". That statement had come in response to a question about recent reports that Heyit, a well-known poet and musician, had died while in Chinese detention, having been "sentenced to eight years in prison for one of his songs". "This tragedy has further reinforced the reaction of the Turkish public opinion towards serious human rights violations committed in the Xinjiang region," ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Sunday. China's embassy in Ankara said Aksoy's accusations were false and urged the Turkish government to retract them. Uighur diaspora activists said Heyit's body language and unnatural speech patterns in the video suggested his testimony may have been coerced and that even digital alteration could not be ruled out. International rights groups say China routinely coerces detainees into making videotaped confessions which are then broadcast through state media to serve the government's propaganda objectives. The Chinese foreign ministry and Xinjiang's regional government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. Beijing has faced an outcry from activists, scholars, foreign governments and UN rights experts over what they call mass detentions and strict surveillance of the mostly Muslim Uighur minority and other Muslim groups who call Xinjiang home. China denied the existence of the so-called "re-education" facilities for months before saying they were in fact vocational training centres designed to combat religious extremism, and has increasingly been on the front foot in defending its actions.

Uighur musician Abdurehim Heyit is alive, says China's state-run television

In perhaps the most significant condemnation to date of China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its north-western province of Xinjiang.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/uighur-musician-abdurehim-heyit-is-alive-says-chinas-state-run-television-196600">Turkey’s foreign ministry </a>demanded this weekend that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what it termed “concentration camps” in which up to one million people are believed to be imprisoned.

Calling the crackdown an “embarrassment to humanity,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the death of detained Uighur poet and musician Abdurehim Heyit had prompted the ministry to issue its statement.

Known as the Rooster of Xinjiang, Heyit symbolised the Uighurs’ cultural links to the Turkic world, according to Adrian Zenz, a European School of Culture and Theology researcher who has done pioneering work on the crackdown.

Turkish media asserted that Heyit, who was serving an eight-year prison sentence, had been tortured to death. &nbsp;

Aksoy said Turkey was calling on other countries and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take steps to end the “humanitarian tragedy” in Xinjiang.

The Chinese embassy in Ankara rejected the statement as a “violation of the facts,” insisting that China was fighting separatism, extremism and terrorism, not seeking to “eliminate” the Uighurs’ ethnic, religious or cultural identity.

Aksoy’s statement contrastèd starkly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s declaration six months earlier that China was Turkey’s economic partner of the future. At the time, Turkey had just secured a $3.6 billion loan for its energy and telecommunications sector from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).

The Turkish statement constitutes the first major crack in the Muslim wall of silence that has enabled the Chinese crackdown, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent memory. The statement’s significance goes beyond developments in Xinjiang.

Like with Muslim condemnation of US President Donald J Trump’s decision last year to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Turkey appears to be wanting to be seen as a spokesman of the Muslim world in its one-upmanship with Saudi Arabia and to a lesser degree Iran.

While neither the kingdom or Iran are likely to follow Turkey’s example any time soon, the statement raises the stakes and puts other contenders for leadership on the defensive.

The bulk of the Muslim world has remained conspicuously silent with only Malaysian leaders willing to speak out and set an example by last year rejecting Chinese demands that a group of Uighur asylum seekers be extradited to China. Malaysia instead allowed the group to go to Turkey.

The Turkish statement came days after four Islamist members of the Kuwaiti parliament organised the Arab world’s first public protest against the crackdown.

By contrast, Pakistani officials backed off initial criticism and protests in countries like Bangladesh and India have been at best sporadic.

Like the Turkish statement, a disagreement between major Indonesian religious leaders and the government on how to respond to the crackdown raises questions about the sustainability of the wall of silence.

Rejecting a call on the government to condemn the crackdown by the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s top clerical body, Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla insisted that the government would not interfere in the internal affairs of others.

The council was one of the first, if not the first, major Muslim religious body to speak out on the issues of the Uighurs. Its non-active chairman and spiritual leader of Nahdlaltul Ulama, the world’s largest Muslim organisation, Maruf Amin, is running as President Joko Widodo’s vice-presidential candidate in elections in April.

The Turkish statement could have its most immediate impact in Central Asia, which like Turkey has close ethnic and cultural ties to Xinjiang, and is struggling to balance relations with China with the need to be seen to be standing up for the rights of its citizens and ethnic kin.

In Kazakhstan, Turkey’s newly found assertiveness towards China could make it more difficult for the government to return to China Sayragul Sautbay, a Chinese national of ethnic Kazakh descent and a former re-education camp employee who fled illegally to Kazakhstan to join her husband and child.

Sautbay, who stood trial in Kazakhstan last year for illegal entry, is the only camp instructor to have worked in a reeducation camp in Xinjiang teaching inmates Mandarin and Communist Party propaganda and spoken publicly about it.

She has twice been refused asylum in Kazakhstan and is appealing the decision. China is believed to be demanding that she be handed back to the Xinjiang authorities.

Similarly, Turkey’s statement could impact the fate of Qalymbek Shahman, a Chinese businessman of Kazakh descent, who is being held at the airport in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent after being denied entry into Kazakhstan.

"I was born in Emin county in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to a farming family. I wanted to go to Kazakhstan, because China's human rights record was making life intolerable. I would have my ID checked every 50 to 100 meters when I was in Xinjiang, This made me extremely anxious, and I couldn't stand it anymore," Shahman said in a video clip sent to Radio Free Asia from Tashkent airport.

A guide for foreign businessmen, Shahman said he was put out of business by the continued checks that raised questions in the minds of his clients and persuaded local businessmen not to work with him.

Said Zenz, the Xinjiang scholar, commenting on the significance of the Turkish statement: “A major outcry among the Muslim world was a key missing piece in the global Xinjiang row. In my view, it seems that China’s actions in Xinjiang are finally crossing a red line among the world’s Muslim communities, at least in Turkey, but quite possibly elsewhere.” 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In perhaps the most significant condemnation to date of China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its north-western province of Xinjiang. Turkey’s foreign ministry demanded this weekend that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what it termed “concentration camps” in which up to one million people are believed to be imprisoned.

In perhaps the most significant condemnation to date of China’s brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in its north-western province of Xinjiang. Turkey’s foreign ministry demanded this weekend that Chinese authorities respect human rights of the Uighurs and close what it termed “concentration camps” in which up to one million people are believed to be imprisoned. Calling the crackdown an “embarrassment to humanity,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the death of detained Uighur poet and musician Abdurehim Heyit had prompted the ministry to issue its statement. Known as the Rooster of Xinjiang, Heyit symbolised the Uighurs’ cultural links to the Turkic world, according to Adrian Zenz, a European School of Culture and Theology researcher who has done pioneering work on the crackdown. Turkish media asserted that Heyit, who was serving an eight-year prison sentence, had been tortured to death. Aksoy said Turkey was calling on other countries and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to take steps to end the “humanitarian tragedy” in Xinjiang. The Chinese embassy in Ankara rejected the statement as a “violation of the facts,” insisting that China was fighting separatism, extremism and terrorism, not seeking to “eliminate” the Uighurs’ ethnic, religious or cultural identity. Aksoy’s statement contrastèd starkly with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s declaration six months earlier that China was Turkey’s economic partner of the future. At the time, Turkey had just secured a $3.6 billion loan for its energy and telecommunications sector from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). The Turkish statement constitutes the first major crack in the Muslim wall of silence that has enabled the Chinese crackdown, the most frontal assault on Islam in recent memory. The statement’s significance goes beyond developments in Xinjiang. Like with Muslim condemnation of US President Donald J Trump’s decision last year to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Turkey appears to be wanting to be seen as a spokesman of the Muslim world in its one-upmanship with Saudi Arabia and to a lesser degree Iran. While neither the kingdom or Iran are likely to follow Turkey’s example any time soon, the statement raises the stakes and puts other contenders for leadership on the defensive. The bulk of the Muslim world has remained conspicuously silent with only Malaysian leaders willing to speak out and set an example by last year rejecting Chinese demands that a group of Uighur asylum seekers be extradited to China. Malaysia instead allowed the group to go to Turkey. The Turkish statement came days after four Islamist members of the Kuwaiti parliament organised the Arab world’s first public protest against the crackdown. By contrast, Pakistani officials backed off initial criticism and protests in countries like Bangladesh and India have been at best sporadic. Like the Turkish statement, a disagreement between major Indonesian religious leaders and the government on how to respond to the crackdown raises questions about the sustainability of the wall of silence. Rejecting a call on the government to condemn the crackdown by the Indonesian Ulema Council, the country’s top clerical body, Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla insisted that the government would not interfere in the internal affairs of others. The council was one of the first, if not the first, major Muslim religious body to speak out on the issues of the Uighurs. Its non-active chairman and spiritual leader of Nahdlaltul Ulama, the world’s largest Muslim organisation, Maruf Amin, is running as President Joko Widodo’s vice-presidential candidate in elections in April. The Turkish statement could have its most immediate impact in Central Asia, which like Turkey has close ethnic and cultural ties to Xinjiang, and is struggling to balance relations with China with the need to be seen to be standing up for the rights of its citizens and ethnic kin. In Kazakhstan, Turkey’s newly found assertiveness towards China could make it more difficult for the government to return to China Sayragul Sautbay, a Chinese national of ethnic Kazakh descent and a former re-education camp employee who fled illegally to Kazakhstan to join her husband and child. Sautbay, who stood trial in Kazakhstan last year for illegal entry, is the only camp instructor to have worked in a reeducation camp in Xinjiang teaching inmates Mandarin and Communist Party propaganda and spoken publicly about it. She has twice been refused asylum in Kazakhstan and is appealing the decision. China is believed to be demanding that she be handed back to the Xinjiang authorities. Similarly, Turkey’s statement could impact the fate of Qalymbek Shahman, a Chinese businessman of Kazakh descent, who is being held at the airport in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent after being denied entry into Kazakhstan. "I was born in Emin county in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to a farming family. I wanted to go to Kazakhstan, because China's human rights record was making life intolerable. I would have my ID checked every 50 to 100 meters when I was in Xinjiang, This made me extremely anxious, and I couldn't stand it anymore," Shahman said in a video clip sent to Radio Free Asia from Tashkent airport. A guide for foreign businessmen, Shahman said he was put out of business by the continued checks that raised questions in the minds of his clients and persuaded local businessmen not to work with him. Said Zenz, the Xinjiang scholar, commenting on the significance of the Turkish statement: “A major outcry among the Muslim world was a key missing piece in the global Xinjiang row. In my view, it seems that China’s actions in Xinjiang are finally crossing a red line among the world’s Muslim communities, at least in Turkey, but quite possibly elsewhere.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Harsh Turkish condemnation of Uighur abuse in Xinjiang cracks wall of silence

A heavy soup made of pulled noodles, meat, and vegetables symbolises Central Asia’s close cultural and/or ethnic ties with China’s repressed Turkic and Hui Muslims. It also explains growing Central Asian unease with China’s re-education campaign in its north-western province of Xinjiang and its signature infrastructure and energy driven-Belt and Road initiative.

Named Ashlan Fu and introduced to Kyrgyzstan in the late 19th century by Dungans, exiled Chinese Hui Muslims who fled over the Tien Shan Mountains after a failed rebellion in 1877, the soup has become a staple of Kyrgyz cuisine.

Made of Laghman noodles, starch preserves, onion, garlic, chilli, dark vinegar, and egg, Ashlan Fu is “the best cure for a hangover,” says Aman Janserkeev, a Kyrgyz student.

It’s also indicative of the potential fallout of China’s crackdown on Turkic and increasingly Hui Muslims that amounts to the most frontal assault on Islam in post-World War Two history and of commercial terms underlying Belt and Road-related Chinese investments in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia.

Some 150 members of Kyrgyzstan’s far-right Kyrk Choro (Forty Nights) group last month protested outside the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek against the inclusion of ethnic Kyrgyz in the up to one million Muslims detained in re-education camps in Xinjiang as part of the Chinese crackdown.

In a sign of the times, Kyrk Choro, a nationalist group that has gained popularity and is believed to have the support of the Kyrgyz ministries of interior and labour, migration and youth, and the National Security Committee (GKNB), focused in its protest exclusively on ethnic Kyrgyz in Chinese detention.

Acting as vigilantes, Kyrk Choro four years ago raided clubs in Bishkek in a campaign against prostitution and accused Chinese nationals of promoting vice. In a video of an attack on a karaoke club, a Kyrk Choro leader showed a receipt that featured a girl as one of the consumed items.

Yet, while standing up for the rights of ethnic Kyrgyz, Kyrk Choro has also called for Uighurs, the Turkic Muslims that populate Xinjiang, to be booted out of Bishkek’s most popular clothing bazaar and replaced by ethnic Kyrgyz.

During December’s protest, Kyrk Choro also demanded the expulsion of illegal Chinese migrants. It further insisted that the government check the documents of migrants, including those who had obtained Kyrgyz citizenship over the last decade, including 268 Chinese nationals who are in majority of Kyrgyz descent.

Kyrk Choro’s contradictory demands and claims reflect not only a global trend towards ethnic and religious nationalism with undertones of xenophobia but also concern that Belt and Road-related projects serve Chinese rather than Kyrgyz and Central Asian interests.

The Kyrgyz government recently reported that 35,215 Chinese citizens had arrived in the country in 2018, many of them as construction workers on Chinese-funded projects.

Political scientist Colleen Wood noted that social media activists were linking criticism of Chinese commercial practices with China’s crackdown in Xinjiang.

“One widely-shared image, which declares “Don’t let anyone take your land,” depicts a strong fist — adorned with a Kyrgyz flag — stopping a spindly hand — marked by a Chinese flag — from snatching factories and a field,” Wood wrote in The Diplomat.

Wood said some activists compared Chinese practice to the demarcation in 2002 of the Chinese-Kyrgyz border during which the Central Asian nation handed over 1,250 square kilometres of land to China.

Another Facebook page posted articles about Chinese mining companies operating in Kyrgyzstan, a target of Kyrgyz protesters, alongside articles depicting the intrusiveness of the crackdown in Xinjiang, according to Wood.

Ashlan Fu, the popular Dungan soup, could prove to be a litmus test of the depth of mounting anti-Chinese sentiment. &nbsp;

An Instagram account with a Stop China feed publishes xenophobic content about Chinese culinary habits as well as regular updates on the crackdown that is expanding into the autonomous region of Ningxia Hui.

Ningxia Hui recently signed a cooperation agreement on anti-terrorism with Xinjiang in a bid to learn from the crackdown on the Turkic Muslims or in the words of the Global Times, a Communist Party organ, “to learn from Xinjiang's experiences in promoting social stability.”

In advance of another protest at the Chinese embassy in Bishkek scheduled for January 17, Kyrgyz first deputy prime minister Kubatbek Boronov called this week on the public not to believe anti-Chinese postings on social media.

In an acknowledgement of Kyrk Choro’s appeal, Boronov asserted that the group had denied participating in the December protest.

The government, much like Turkey and the vast majority of Muslim countries, has so far evaded taking China to task on its crackdown for fear of jeopardising its relations with the People’s Republic.

Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov insisted last month that “the ethnic Kyrgyz of China are citizens of China, who obey the laws of their country. How can we intervene in their domestic matters? We can’t.”

If Kazakhstan, where the issue of ethnic Kazakhs detained in China has flared up, is anything to go by, the Kyrgyz government is walking a tightrope.

Asyla Alymkulova, &nbsp;a Kyrgyz national recently established the Committee to Protect the Kyrgyz People in China after her husband, Shairbek Doolotkhan, a Chinese-born Muslim, vanished in October on a business trip to Xinjiang.

Doolotkhan’s company subsequently advised Alymkulova that her husband had been "sent away to study" in a camp.

A Kyrgyz diplomat was among representatives of 12 non-Western countries whom China in the last week invited to Xinjiang to counter criticism of the crackdown and showcase economic and social progress. A group of foreign journalists was invited separately.

Short of a reunion with her husband, there is little that is likely to convince Alymkulova or the relatives of thousands of other Central Asians, including at least 2,500 Kazakhs, that Chinese policy towards Muslims is benign and benefitting the community and the region’s progress.

That, in turn, will not make things easier for the Kyrgyz and other Muslim governments at a time that ethnic and cultural identities in a nationalistic and at times xenophobic environment are becoming prevalent. Kyrgyz attitudes towards Ashlan Fu may be the barometer.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

A heavy soup made of pulled noodles, meat, and vegetables symbolises Central Asia’s close cultural and/or ethnic ties with China’s repressed Turkic and Hui Muslims.

A heavy soup made of pulled noodles, meat, and vegetables symbolises Central Asia’s close cultural and/or ethnic ties with China’s repressed Turkic and Hui Muslims. It also explains growing Central Asian unease with China’s re-education campaign in its north-western province of Xinjiang and its signature infrastructure and energy driven-Belt and Road initiative. Named Ashlan Fu and introduced to Kyrgyzstan in the late 19th century by Dungans, exiled Chinese Hui Muslims who fled over the Tien Shan Mountains after a failed rebellion in 1877, the soup has become a staple of Kyrgyz cuisine. Made of Laghman noodles, starch preserves, onion, garlic, chilli, dark vinegar, and egg, Ashlan Fu is “the best cure for a hangover,” says Aman Janserkeev, a Kyrgyz student. It’s also indicative of the potential fallout of China’s crackdown on Turkic and increasingly Hui Muslims that amounts to the most frontal assault on Islam in post-World War Two history and of commercial terms underlying Belt and Road-related Chinese investments in Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. Some 150 members of Kyrgyzstan’s far-right Kyrk Choro (Forty Nights) group last month protested outside the Chinese embassy in the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek against the inclusion of ethnic Kyrgyz in the up to one million Muslims detained in re-education camps in Xinjiang as part of the Chinese crackdown. In a sign of the times, Kyrk Choro, a nationalist group that has gained popularity and is believed to have the support of the Kyrgyz ministries of interior and labour, migration and youth, and the National Security Committee (GKNB), focused in its protest exclusively on ethnic Kyrgyz in Chinese detention. Acting as vigilantes, Kyrk Choro four years ago raided clubs in Bishkek in a campaign against prostitution and accused Chinese nationals of promoting vice. In a video of an attack on a karaoke club, a Kyrk Choro leader showed a receipt that featured a girl as one of the consumed items. Yet, while standing up for the rights of ethnic Kyrgyz, Kyrk Choro has also called for Uighurs, the Turkic Muslims that populate Xinjiang, to be booted out of Bishkek’s most popular clothing bazaar and replaced by ethnic Kyrgyz. During December’s protest, Kyrk Choro also demanded the expulsion of illegal Chinese migrants. It further insisted that the government check the documents of migrants, including those who had obtained Kyrgyz citizenship over the last decade, including 268 Chinese nationals who are in majority of Kyrgyz descent. Kyrk Choro’s contradictory demands and claims reflect not only a global trend towards ethnic and religious nationalism with undertones of xenophobia but also concern that Belt and Road-related projects serve Chinese rather than Kyrgyz and Central Asian interests. The Kyrgyz government recently reported that 35,215 Chinese citizens had arrived in the country in 2018, many of them as construction workers on Chinese-funded projects. Political scientist Colleen Wood noted that social media activists were linking criticism of Chinese commercial practices with China’s crackdown in Xinjiang. “One widely-shared image, which declares “Don’t let anyone take your land,” depicts a strong fist — adorned with a Kyrgyz flag — stopping a spindly hand — marked by a Chinese flag — from snatching factories and a field,” Wood wrote in The Diplomat. Wood said some activists compared Chinese practice to the demarcation in 2002 of the Chinese-Kyrgyz border during which the Central Asian nation handed over 1,250 square kilometres of land to China. Another Facebook page posted articles about Chinese mining companies operating in Kyrgyzstan, a target of Kyrgyz protesters, alongside articles depicting the intrusiveness of the crackdown in Xinjiang, according to Wood. Ashlan Fu, the popular Dungan soup, could prove to be a litmus test of the depth of mounting anti-Chinese sentiment. An Instagram account with a Stop China feed publishes xenophobic content about Chinese culinary habits as well as regular updates on the crackdown that is expanding into the autonomous region of Ningxia Hui. Ningxia Hui recently signed a cooperation agreement on anti-terrorism with Xinjiang in a bid to learn from the crackdown on the Turkic Muslims or in the words of the Global Times, a Communist Party organ, “to learn from Xinjiang's experiences in promoting social stability.” In advance of another protest at the Chinese embassy in Bishkek scheduled for January 17, Kyrgyz first deputy prime minister Kubatbek Boronov called this week on the public not to believe anti-Chinese postings on social media. In an acknowledgement of Kyrk Choro’s appeal, Boronov asserted that the group had denied participating in the December protest. The government, much like Turkey and the vast majority of Muslim countries, has so far evaded taking China to task on its crackdown for fear of jeopardising its relations with the People’s Republic. Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov insisted last month that “the ethnic Kyrgyz of China are citizens of China, who obey the laws of their country. How can we intervene in their domestic matters? We can’t.” If Kazakhstan, where the issue of ethnic Kazakhs detained in China has flared up, is anything to go by, the Kyrgyz government is walking a tightrope. Asyla Alymkulova, a Kyrgyz national recently established the Committee to Protect the Kyrgyz People in China after her husband, Shairbek Doolotkhan, a Chinese-born Muslim, vanished in October on a business trip to Xinjiang. Doolotkhan’s company subsequently advised Alymkulova that her husband had been "sent away to study" in a camp. A Kyrgyz diplomat was among representatives of 12 non-Western countries whom China in the last week invited to Xinjiang to counter criticism of the crackdown and showcase economic and social progress. A group of foreign journalists was invited separately. Short of a reunion with her husband, there is little that is likely to convince Alymkulova or the relatives of thousands of other Central Asians, including at least 2,500 Kazakhs, that Chinese policy towards Muslims is benign and benefitting the community and the region’s progress. That, in turn, will not make things easier for the Kyrgyz and other Muslim governments at a time that ethnic and cultural identities in a nationalistic and at times xenophobic environment are becoming prevalent. Kyrgyz attitudes towards Ashlan Fu may be the barometer. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Turkic-Chinese soup: A barometer of anti-Chinese sentiment

China's foreign ministry said that would allow UN officials to visit Xinjiang "if they follow the proper procedures" amid reports of suppression of the local population in the area.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the comments in Beijing.

Last year a United Nations human rights panel had said it had received credible reports that one million ethnic Uighurs in China were held in what resembled a "massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy."

China had said camps were&nbsp;"vocational training centres" to bolster economic growth in the region.

The Xinjiang region has been the focus of renewed attention amid reports of Bejing's "deradicalisation" plan in the mostly Muslim dominated Turkic Uighurs. In 2009, Xinjiang had experienced riots which was quelled by local authorities.

China maintains that Xinjiang faces a serious threat from Islamist militants.

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers had called for sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for alleged human rights abuses against in Xinjiang region.

Human Rights Watch had said that Uighur Muslims face arbitrary detentions, daily restrictions on religious practice and "forced political indoctrination".

The rights body&nbsp;accused China of forbidding Islamic greetings in the region and making Mandarin language mandatory which included singing propaganda songs.

Punishments for refusing to follow instructions in the camp could mean being denied food, being forced to stand for 24 hours or even solitary confinement, it had said in its report. China refuted the allegation.

Last week the US had issued a &nbsp;"Level 2" warning over extra security checks and increased police presence in the Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Regions.

China's foreign ministry said that would allow UN officials to visit Xinjiang "if they follow the proper procedures" amid reports of suppression of the local population in the area.

China's foreign ministry said that would allow UN officials to visit Xinjiang "if they follow the proper procedures" amid reports of suppression of the local population in the area. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang made the comments in Beijing. Last year a United Nations human rights panel had said it had received credible reports that one million ethnic Uighurs in China were held in what resembled a "massive internment camp that is shrouded in secrecy." China had said camps were "vocational training centres" to bolster economic growth in the region. The Xinjiang region has been the focus of renewed attention amid reports of Bejing's "deradicalisation" plan in the mostly Muslim dominated Turkic Uighurs. In 2009, Xinjiang had experienced riots which was quelled by local authorities. China maintains that Xinjiang faces a serious threat from Islamist militants. A bipartisan group of US lawmakers had called for sanctions on Chinese officials responsible for alleged human rights abuses against in Xinjiang region. Human Rights Watch had said that Uighur Muslims face arbitrary detentions, daily restrictions on religious practice and "forced political indoctrination". The rights body accused China of forbidding Islamic greetings in the region and making Mandarin language mandatory which included singing propaganda songs. Punishments for refusing to follow instructions in the camp could mean being denied food, being forced to stand for 24 hours or even solitary confinement, it had said in its report. China refuted the allegation. Last week the US had issued a "Level 2" warning over extra security checks and increased police presence in the Xinjiang and Tibet Autonomous Regions.

Ready to allow UN officials in Xinjiang 'if they follow proper procedure': China

In a bid to make Islam more compatible with socialism, Beijing has passed a law to "implement measures to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/opinion-china-cracks-down-on-uighurs-and-mulls-policy-changes-158878">Sinicize" Islam</a> within the next five years.

The move came after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-mosque-demolition-no-religion-is-above-the-law-communist-party-newspaper-says-on-muslim-protest-158490">Chinese government officials</a> met with representatives from <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/human-rights-watch-report-on-uighurs-full-of-prejudice-says-china-164872">eight Islamic associations</a>, the Global Times reported.

"(The officials) agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to Sinicize the religion," the article outlined.

The term "sinicize" means to make something more Chinese in character.&nbsp;

The exact methodology which will be utilised to implement the law has not been divulged.

This comes amid a crackdown on Uighur Muslims in the nation, with the United Nations estimating that over one million Uighurs are being held in internment camps in the Xinjiang province.

Practising Islam is illegal in some pockets of China. People caught fasting, praying, growing a beard or wearing a hijab attract arrest in the nation.

In a bid to make Islam more compatible with socialism, Beijing has passed a law to "implement measures to Sinicize" Islam within the next five years. The move came after Chinese government officials met with representatives from eight Islamic associations, the Global Times reported.

In a bid to make Islam more compatible with socialism, Beijing has passed a law to "implement measures to Sinicize" Islam within the next five years. The move came after Chinese government officials met with representatives from eight Islamic associations, the Global Times reported. "(The officials) agreed to guide Islam to be compatible with socialism and implement measures to Sinicize the religion," the article outlined. The term "sinicize" means to make something more Chinese in character. The exact methodology which will be utilised to implement the law has not been divulged. This comes amid a crackdown on Uighur Muslims in the nation, with the United Nations estimating that over one million Uighurs are being held in internment camps in the Xinjiang province. Practising Islam is illegal in some pockets of China. People caught fasting, praying, growing a beard or wearing a hijab attract arrest in the nation.

To make it compatible with socialism, Beijing passes law to make Islam more Chinese-like

China on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to "disturb" its security policies after a US congressional report said <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-launches-anti-halal-crackdown-in-xinjiang-city-170747">Beijing's mass internment of Muslim minorities</a> may constitute "crimes against humanity".

The report by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China described the situation of human rights in China as "dire" and worsening, a trend epitomised by the internment of as many as one million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in the far west Xinjiang region.

In response, China's foreign ministry characterised reports of its policies in the region as "rumours and groundless accusations".

Chinese policies "aim to safeguard the social stability and security of Xinjiang and are supported by the people," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters during a regular press briefing.

"Relevant parties want to disturb such efforts. This is futile," he said.

Beijing has a long history of accusing the US of fomenting anti-China "separatism" in Xinjiang, alleging Washington has sponsored groups advocating for the region's independence in an attempt to weaken China.

The region -- which comprises one-sixth of China's land area -- is a jumping off point for the country's ambitious new "Belt and Road" project aimed at opening up new overland routes to increase access to markets across Asia and Europe.

Maintaining stability there has become a priority for the country's leadership, which seeks to prevent any disruptions to its economic ambitions.

Beijing has long had a strained relationship with Xinjiang's mostly Muslim minority groups, particularly the Turkic Uighurs, which make up about half of the region's population and bridle under the central government's draconian security policies.

The region experienced a brief increase in attacks following deadly riots in the regional capital Urumqi in 2009.

Beijing says its policies towards the region have effectively eliminated the problem.

But critics say that the measures are unsustainable and will stoke resentment as China seeks to assimilate Xinjiang's minority population and suppress religious and cultural practises that conflict with Communist ideology and the dominant Han culture.

China has sought to achieve that goal by detaining hundreds of thousands in a network of shadowy "re-education" centres where they are force-fed propaganda and drilled on Chinese language skills, according to rights groups.

Beijing has denied the existence of the centres, while admitting that some people accused of minor crimes have been put in correctional programmes where they receive job training.

But on Tuesday, Xinjiang updated its counter-terrorism and anti-extremism regulations to codify such centres, saying that people accused of minor crimes related to terrorism would be allowed to voluntarily enter the facilities instead of being jailed.

But there may be little difference between the two.

In July, a former teacher at one of the centres told a court in Kazakhstan that "in China they call it a political camp but really it was a prison in the mountains."

China on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to "disturb" its security policies after a US congressional report said Beijing's mass internment of Muslim minorities may constitute "crimes against humanity".

China on Thursday accused the United States of seeking to "disturb" its security policies after a US congressional report said Beijing's mass internment of Muslim minorities may constitute "crimes against humanity". The report by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China described the situation of human rights in China as "dire" and worsening, a trend epitomised by the internment of as many as one million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities in the far west Xinjiang region. In response, China's foreign ministry characterised reports of its policies in the region as "rumours and groundless accusations". Chinese policies "aim to safeguard the social stability and security of Xinjiang and are supported by the people," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters during a regular press briefing. "Relevant parties want to disturb such efforts. This is futile," he said. Beijing has a long history of accusing the US of fomenting anti-China "separatism" in Xinjiang, alleging Washington has sponsored groups advocating for the region's independence in an attempt to weaken China. The region -- which comprises one-sixth of China's land area -- is a jumping off point for the country's ambitious new "Belt and Road" project aimed at opening up new overland routes to increase access to markets across Asia and Europe. Maintaining stability there has become a priority for the country's leadership, which seeks to prevent any disruptions to its economic ambitions. Beijing has long had a strained relationship with Xinjiang's mostly Muslim minority groups, particularly the Turkic Uighurs, which make up about half of the region's population and bridle under the central government's draconian security policies. The region experienced a brief increase in attacks following deadly riots in the regional capital Urumqi in 2009. Beijing says its policies towards the region have effectively eliminated the problem. But critics say that the measures are unsustainable and will stoke resentment as China seeks to assimilate Xinjiang's minority population and suppress religious and cultural practises that conflict with Communist ideology and the dominant Han culture. China has sought to achieve that goal by detaining hundreds of thousands in a network of shadowy "re-education" centres where they are force-fed propaganda and drilled on Chinese language skills, according to rights groups. Beijing has denied the existence of the centres, while admitting that some people accused of minor crimes have been put in correctional programmes where they receive job training. But on Tuesday, Xinjiang updated its counter-terrorism and anti-extremism regulations to codify such centres, saying that people accused of minor crimes related to terrorism would be allowed to voluntarily enter the facilities instead of being jailed. But there may be little difference between the two. In July, a former teacher at one of the centres told a court in Kazakhstan that "in China they call it a political camp but really it was a prison in the mountains."

China says US seeks to 'disturb' Xinjiang policies

The United States on Friday denounced China's treatment of its Uighur Muslims in unusually strong terms, adding to a growing list of disputes in increasingly turbulent relations between the two powers.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced alarm after a United Nations report described the mass internment of Uighurs under the pretext of preventing extremism in the western Xinjiang region where the minority group is concentrated. &nbsp;

"Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they're forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses," Pompeo said in a speech on the state of religious freedom around the world.

"Their religious beliefs are decimated," Pompeo said.

In a letter to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, both Republican and Democratic members of Congress late last month called for sanctions on Chinese officials implicated in the internment of Uighurs.

Pompeo did not say whether the United States would take punitive measures.

Even so, the remarks were striking for their tone, with President Donald Trump's administration putting human rights on the back seat in relations with allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration itself has faced criticism at home and abroad for its stance on Muslims, with the president as a candidate calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States and, soon after taking office, barring entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries.

Pompeo also expressed concern about the fate of Christians in China, who he said had been targeted in a government crackdown.

The government, he said, has been "closing churches, burning Bibles and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith." &nbsp;

- China defends treatment - 
In an interview earlier in the week, Pompeo had described China as a greater threat to the United States than Russia, saying that Beijing was a "non-transparent government."

"It treats our intellectual property horribly, it treats its religious minorities horribly," he told Fox News.

China has rejected the findings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.&nbsp;

Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last month that the report was "based on so-called information that is yet to be verified and has no factual basis."

Hua added that China was doing what was needed to combat extremism and terrorism on its western frontier.

Uighurs have long complained of systematic discrimination in the region, which activists call East Turkestan, with tensions especially rife in areas that have seen large-scale migration from China's dominant Han ethnicity.

The Uyghur Human Rights Project, an advocacy group that uses an alternative spelling for the minority group's name, has estimated that an entire 10 percent of the population has been detained as part of an indoctrination campaign.

- Rising disputes - 
The fresh focus on human rights comes as trade disputes mount between the world's two largest economies.

The two countries will launch new tariffs on Monday, with Washington targeting $200 billion in Chinese exports and Beijing hitting $60 billion worth of American products.

The two sides have already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in goods from each country.

Trump in his first year appeared to relish a chummy rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he invited to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. But relations have wobbled as Trump takes an increasingly hard line to protect domestic industry.

Moving a step further, the United States said Thursday it was placing financial sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of China's defense ministry as well as its top administrator for violating sanctions on Russia by buying Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles.

Russia and China both lashed out at the move, with Beijing urging the United States to withdraw the sanctions or "bear the consequences."

The United States on Friday denounced China's treatment of its Uighur Muslims in unusually strong terms, adding to a growing list of disputes in increasingly turbulent relations between the two powers.

The United States on Friday denounced China's treatment of its Uighur Muslims in unusually strong terms, adding to a growing list of disputes in increasingly turbulent relations between the two powers. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced alarm after a United Nations report described the mass internment of Uighurs under the pretext of preventing extremism in the western Xinjiang region where the minority group is concentrated. "Hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of Uighurs are held against their will in so-called re-education camps where they're forced to endure severe political indoctrination and other awful abuses," Pompeo said in a speech on the state of religious freedom around the world. "Their religious beliefs are decimated," Pompeo said. In a letter to Pompeo and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, both Republican and Democratic members of Congress late last month called for sanctions on Chinese officials implicated in the internment of Uighurs. Pompeo did not say whether the United States would take punitive measures. Even so, the remarks were striking for their tone, with President Donald Trump's administration putting human rights on the back seat in relations with allies such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration itself has faced criticism at home and abroad for its stance on Muslims, with the president as a candidate calling for a complete ban on Muslims entering the United States and, soon after taking office, barring entry to citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. Pompeo also expressed concern about the fate of Christians in China, who he said had been targeted in a government crackdown. The government, he said, has been "closing churches, burning Bibles and ordering followers to sign papers renouncing their faith." - China defends treatment - In an interview earlier in the week, Pompeo had described China as a greater threat to the United States than Russia, saying that Beijing was a "non-transparent government." "It treats our intellectual property horribly, it treats its religious minorities horribly," he told Fox News. China has rejected the findings of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said last month that the report was "based on so-called information that is yet to be verified and has no factual basis." Hua added that China was doing what was needed to combat extremism and terrorism on its western frontier. Uighurs have long complained of systematic discrimination in the region, which activists call East Turkestan, with tensions especially rife in areas that have seen large-scale migration from China's dominant Han ethnicity. The Uyghur Human Rights Project, an advocacy group that uses an alternative spelling for the minority group's name, has estimated that an entire 10 percent of the population has been detained as part of an indoctrination campaign. - Rising disputes - The fresh focus on human rights comes as trade disputes mount between the world's two largest economies. The two countries will launch new tariffs on Monday, with Washington targeting $200 billion in Chinese exports and Beijing hitting $60 billion worth of American products. The two sides have already imposed tariffs on $50 billion in goods from each country. Trump in his first year appeared to relish a chummy rapport with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom he invited to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. But relations have wobbled as Trump takes an increasingly hard line to protect domestic industry. Moving a step further, the United States said Thursday it was placing financial sanctions on the Equipment Development Department of China's defense ministry as well as its top administrator for violating sanctions on Russia by buying Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missiles. Russia and China both lashed out at the move, with Beijing urging the United States to withdraw the sanctions or "bear the consequences."

US criticizes treatment of Uighurs in latest China row

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