A leaked document has emerged that details exactly how China targets its Uighur Muslims, it reinforces the claim that besides political extremism the Chinese government focused exclusively on religion as a reason for cracking down on the ethnic minority population.

The 'Karakax' list exposes how China Targets Uighur Muslims

China detained&nbsp;Muslim minority <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">Uighurs </a>for beards, wearing veils, visiting foreign countries and having "too many" children&nbsp;websites, according to a newly revealed database.

The&nbsp;database known as the ''Karakax list'' exposes in extraordinary detail the main reasons for the detentions of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">Uighurs</a>.

Also see: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community</a>

The 137-page Chinese document has been leaked to Deutsche Welle News, along with German broadcasters NDR and WDR and newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The official list of detainees shows how Beijing is tracking every face, every family and every movement of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/a-day-in-the-life-of-uighurs-251734">Uighurs</a>.

<img alt="Karakax list" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="1d4961b0-8c96-4c49-afa1-be031b9c3b28" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EQ_VuJKWkAQZquc.jpg" />

(The Karakax list)

The leak has&nbsp;information on why people are detained while revealing that Chinese authorities are using high-tech surveillance and sheer manpower to keep track of identities, locations and habits of individual Uighur Muslims.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-calls-chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-stain-of-the-century-237014">Pompeo&nbsp;calls China's treatment of Uighurs 'stain of the century'</a>

The list of detainees records the fate of 311 people who were sent off to "re-education" for the most harmless things: growing a beard, fasting, installing foreign software, clicking on a link to a foreign website or applying for a passport.

All of them are being detained in detention centres on the edge of Xinjiang's Taklamakan desert.

<img alt="Karakax List" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="78d021cd-7a33-4bdd-9bee-96917da4547e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/EQ_VZXKWkAA1LKX.jpg" />

(The Karakax list)

On the database, detainees and their families are tracked and classified by rigid, well-defined categories.&nbsp;

Households are designated as “trustworthy” or “not trustworthy,” and their attitudes are graded as “ordinary” or “good”.&nbsp;

Families have “light” or “heavy” religious “atmospheres”, and the document keeps count of how many relatives of each detainee are in prison or have been sent to a “training centre”.

Officials used these categories to determine how suspicious a person was, even if they had not committed any crimes.

Other reasons listed for internment include “minor religious infection”, “disturbs other persons by visiting them without reasons”, “relatives abroad”, “thinking is hard to grasp” and “untrustworthy person born in a certain decade”.&nbsp;

The database also emphasises that the Chinese government focused on religion as a reason for detention.

The leak of the database follows the release in November last year which revealed how the mass detention system worked.

The blueprint which had been obtained by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/angola-vows-to-bring-isabel-dos-santos-back-to-the-country-by-all-possible-means-275666">International Consortium of Investigative Journalists</a> (ICIJ), showed that the centres were in fact forced ideological and behavioural re-education camps run confidentially.

China detained Muslim minority Uighurs for beards, wearing veils, visiting foreign countries and having "too many" children websites, according to a newly revealed database.

China detained Muslim minority Uighurs for beards, wearing veils, visiting foreign countries and having "too many" children websites, according to a newly revealed database. The database known as the ''Karakax list'' exposes in extraordinary detail the main reasons for the detentions of Uighurs. Also see: A day in the life of China’s persecuted Uighur community The 137-page Chinese document has been leaked to Deutsche Welle News, along with German broadcasters NDR and WDR and newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung. The official list of detainees shows how Beijing is tracking every face, every family and every movement of the Uighurs. (The Karakax list) The leak has information on why people are detained while revealing that Chinese authorities are using high-tech surveillance and sheer manpower to keep track of identities, locations and habits of individual Uighur Muslims. Also read: Pompeo calls China's treatment of Uighurs 'stain of the century' The list of detainees records the fate of 311 people who were sent off to "re-education" for the most harmless things: growing a beard, fasting, installing foreign software, clicking on a link to a foreign website or applying for a passport. All of them are being detained in detention centres on the edge of Xinjiang's Taklamakan desert. (The Karakax list) On the database, detainees and their families are tracked and classified by rigid, well-defined categories. Households are designated as “trustworthy” or “not trustworthy,” and their attitudes are graded as “ordinary” or “good”. Families have “light” or “heavy” religious “atmospheres”, and the document keeps count of how many relatives of each detainee are in prison or have been sent to a “training centre”. Officials used these categories to determine how suspicious a person was, even if they had not committed any crimes. Other reasons listed for internment include “minor religious infection”, “disturbs other persons by visiting them without reasons”, “relatives abroad”, “thinking is hard to grasp” and “untrustworthy person born in a certain decade”. The database also emphasises that the Chinese government focused on religion as a reason for detention. The leak of the database follows the release in November last year which revealed how the mass detention system worked. The blueprint which had been obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), showed that the centres were in fact forced ideological and behavioural re-education camps run confidentially.

Leaked data says China detained Uighur muslims for beards, veils and internet browsing

A series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion.

If anything, the two arch-rivals compete in violating the rights of minorities like Uighurs threatened with deportation to China where they run the risk of being incarcerated in re-education camps in the troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang; Rohingyas who have been the victims of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar; and persecuted Bahais and other religious minorities in Iran.

Saudi and Iranian policies seem more in line with those of authoritarian and autocratic leaders who often seek their legitimacy in civilisationalism that emphasises the supremacy of a distinct civilization at the expense of others rather than principles of humanitarianism.

The plight of threatened Muslim majorities alongside potential different Muslim responses to US President Donald Trump’s controversial Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that favours Israel is likely to sharpen a struggle for leadership of the Islamic world between a Saudi-UAE-led alliance and countries like Turkey, Iran and Malaysia.

Backed by Turkey and Iran, Malaysia last month organised an Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur that failed to live up to its billing of defending the rights of endangered Muslim minorities. Nonetheless, the summit sparked ripples in various Muslim nations in the Middle East as well as Asia.

Beyond Iran and Saudi Arabia’s overall abuse of universal human rights, recent reports highlight their failure to ensure the safety and rights of persecuted minorities – a principle that was left, right and centre in this week’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the German extermination camp in Poland.

“Auschwitz did not fall from the sky,” said 93-year-old historian and Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski.. He argued that Auschwitz was the result of thousands of small steps that stripped minorities of their dignity and humanity. “The 11th commandment is thou shalt not be indifferent. Do not be indifferent when any minority is discriminated against,” Turski said.

The Saudi deportation of Uighurs who are caught in a no-man’s land given the blanket refusal by Chinese diplomatic missions to extend their passports as part of its brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, casts a shadow over a visit this month to Auschwitz by Mohammed Al-Issa, the first by a senior Saudi cleric.

Al-Issa’s visit was designed to project the kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has defended the crackdown, as a religiously tolerant country that has broken with the intolerant aspects of ultra-conservative Islam, not only in its discrimination against women but also in its attitudes towards other faiths and minority groups.

Al-Issa heads the Muslim World League that for decades was one of the prime Saudi vehicles for the global promotion and funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism.

The world must ensure that “these kinds of horrible crimes” will never “happen again,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz, echoing statements by multiple Auschwitz survivors who insisted that ‘never again’ was a principle applicable to all persecuted minorities, not just Jews.

Al-Issa’s statement may well have been genuine. “His face reflected feelings of shock and sadness as he looked at piles of used canisters of Zyklon-B, the gas used to suffocate victims, along with mounds of eyeglasses, shoes, prayer shawls, and human hair that the Nazis collected from incoming prisoners,” The Times of Israel reported.

“Unfortunately, humanity is still suffering from these kinds of crimes on a large scale today, different human beings against each other. I believe there is a huge responsibility on the international community to do something to deal with these kinds of horrible crimes and to make sure none of this will happen again. Our world will not be able to achieve peace unless we have a strong will together to fight evil,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz.

Fighting evil would mean that arrangements are found for Uighurs rendered without valid documents as a result of Chinese policy, if not in the kingdom itself in cooperation with other countries rather than exposing them to the risk of indefinite incarceration.

It would also mean adopting a compassionate attitude towards the approximately 250,000 Rohingya who have sought refuge in the kingdom from ethnic and religious persecution in Myanmar where they are denied basic rights.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week ordered Myanmar to adopt provisional measures to prevent further attempts at genocide against the roughly 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority remaining in Myanmar. Some 750,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent years to escape what the United Nations called ethnic cleansing.

Rohingya began migrating to Saudi Arabia in the 1950s and were granted residency by King Feisal in 1973, allowing them to live, work and travel within the kingdom and abroad.

Thousands of Rohingya have, however, been expelled in recent years as illegal immigrants or because they entered the kingdom on false documents, the only papers available to them, as part of Prince Mohammed’s efforts to reduce dependence on foreign labour and increase employment opportunities for Saudi nationals.

By the same token, Iran this week ruled that national identity cards would only be issued to adherents of the three minority religions recognized by the country’s constitution, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism.

The ruling eliminated the category ‘other’ on the application forms for the card that is needed to access government and banking services as well as numerous other transactions.

The ruling targets Baha’is, members of a sect viewed as a heretic by mainstream Islam, and other sects, forcing them to lie to obtain the identity card.

Baha’i leaders have been imprisoned and those who openly follow the faith are routinely denied university education and employment, while members of the community have seen their businesses shut down and land confiscated by the state.

Iran’s National Organisation For Civil Registration, responding to a complaint about the omission of the ‘other’ option, advised the Baha’i complainant to in effect disavow his faith and fill out the form with incorrect information.

“Dear citizen, we wish you health. The law neither recognises your religion nor offers a solution. You may submit your application under existing options,” the authority said. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

A series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion.

A series of recent measures in Saudi Arabia and Iran that violate the rights, if not endanger religious and ethnic minorities call into question their moral claims of adhering to core faith-based values of mercy and compassion. If anything, the two arch-rivals compete in violating the rights of minorities like Uighurs threatened with deportation to China where they run the risk of being incarcerated in re-education camps in the troubled, north-western province of Xinjiang; Rohingyas who have been the victims of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar; and persecuted Bahais and other religious minorities in Iran. Saudi and Iranian policies seem more in line with those of authoritarian and autocratic leaders who often seek their legitimacy in civilisationalism that emphasises the supremacy of a distinct civilization at the expense of others rather than principles of humanitarianism. The plight of threatened Muslim majorities alongside potential different Muslim responses to US President Donald Trump’s controversial Israeli-Palestinian peace plan that favours Israel is likely to sharpen a struggle for leadership of the Islamic world between a Saudi-UAE-led alliance and countries like Turkey, Iran and Malaysia. Backed by Turkey and Iran, Malaysia last month organised an Islamic summit in Kuala Lumpur that failed to live up to its billing of defending the rights of endangered Muslim minorities. Nonetheless, the summit sparked ripples in various Muslim nations in the Middle East as well as Asia. Beyond Iran and Saudi Arabia’s overall abuse of universal human rights, recent reports highlight their failure to ensure the safety and rights of persecuted minorities – a principle that was left, right and centre in this week’s commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the German extermination camp in Poland. “Auschwitz did not fall from the sky,” said 93-year-old historian and Auschwitz survivor Marian Turski.. He argued that Auschwitz was the result of thousands of small steps that stripped minorities of their dignity and humanity. “The 11th commandment is thou shalt not be indifferent. Do not be indifferent when any minority is discriminated against,” Turski said. The Saudi deportation of Uighurs who are caught in a no-man’s land given the blanket refusal by Chinese diplomatic missions to extend their passports as part of its brutal crackdown on Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, casts a shadow over a visit this month to Auschwitz by Mohammed Al-Issa, the first by a senior Saudi cleric. Al-Issa’s visit was designed to project the kingdom under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has defended the crackdown, as a religiously tolerant country that has broken with the intolerant aspects of ultra-conservative Islam, not only in its discrimination against women but also in its attitudes towards other faiths and minority groups. Al-Issa heads the Muslim World League that for decades was one of the prime Saudi vehicles for the global promotion and funding of Sunni Muslim ultra-conservatism. The world must ensure that “these kinds of horrible crimes” will never “happen again,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz, echoing statements by multiple Auschwitz survivors who insisted that ‘never again’ was a principle applicable to all persecuted minorities, not just Jews. Al-Issa’s statement may well have been genuine. “His face reflected feelings of shock and sadness as he looked at piles of used canisters of Zyklon-B, the gas used to suffocate victims, along with mounds of eyeglasses, shoes, prayer shawls, and human hair that the Nazis collected from incoming prisoners,” The Times of Israel reported. “Unfortunately, humanity is still suffering from these kinds of crimes on a large scale today, different human beings against each other. I believe there is a huge responsibility on the international community to do something to deal with these kinds of horrible crimes and to make sure none of this will happen again. Our world will not be able to achieve peace unless we have a strong will together to fight evil,” Al-Issa said in Auschwitz. Fighting evil would mean that arrangements are found for Uighurs rendered without valid documents as a result of Chinese policy, if not in the kingdom itself in cooperation with other countries rather than exposing them to the risk of indefinite incarceration. It would also mean adopting a compassionate attitude towards the approximately 250,000 Rohingya who have sought refuge in the kingdom from ethnic and religious persecution in Myanmar where they are denied basic rights. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) last week ordered Myanmar to adopt provisional measures to prevent further attempts at genocide against the roughly 600,000 members of the Rohingya Muslim minority remaining in Myanmar. Some 750,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh in recent years to escape what the United Nations called ethnic cleansing. Rohingya began migrating to Saudi Arabia in the 1950s and were granted residency by King Feisal in 1973, allowing them to live, work and travel within the kingdom and abroad. Thousands of Rohingya have, however, been expelled in recent years as illegal immigrants or because they entered the kingdom on false documents, the only papers available to them, as part of Prince Mohammed’s efforts to reduce dependence on foreign labour and increase employment opportunities for Saudi nationals. By the same token, Iran this week ruled that national identity cards would only be issued to adherents of the three minority religions recognized by the country’s constitution, Christianity, Judaism and Zoroastrianism. The ruling eliminated the category ‘other’ on the application forms for the card that is needed to access government and banking services as well as numerous other transactions. The ruling targets Baha’is, members of a sect viewed as a heretic by mainstream Islam, and other sects, forcing them to lie to obtain the identity card. Baha’i leaders have been imprisoned and those who openly follow the faith are routinely denied university education and employment, while members of the community have seen their businesses shut down and land confiscated by the state. Iran’s National Organisation For Civil Registration, responding to a complaint about the omission of the ‘other’ option, advised the Baha’i complainant to in effect disavow his faith and fill out the form with incorrect information. “Dear citizen, we wish you health. The law neither recognises your religion nor offers a solution. You may submit your application under existing options,” the authority said. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Saudi Arabia and Iran: No place for persecuted minorities

China's education ministry on Wednesday announced it was banning foreign teaching materials like textbooks and classic novels in schools and said it would "tighten" its review system on&nbsp;teaching material.

The ministry said it would "insist on the guiding principles of Marxism and reflect the Chinese style.”

“All primary and secondary school teaching material&nbsp;must reflect the will of the party and the country,” it said, adding, so that "students bear the great responsibility of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.”

China's latest move comes amid reports of the Communist Party preparing to rewrite the holy books of Islam and Christianity amid the crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang.&nbsp;

Last year, the Communist nation had released a code of ethics for Chinese journalists.

The code said journalists needed to safeguard the country's political and cultural security and social stability while urging the press to report on people-centered approach at work.

The code also insisted journalists report truly and accurately on events and make full use of technology.

China's education ministry on Wednesday announced it was banning foreign teaching materials like textbooks and classic novels in schools and said it would "tighten" its review system on teaching material.

China's education ministry on Wednesday announced it was banning foreign teaching materials like textbooks and classic novels in schools and said it would "tighten" its review system on teaching material. The ministry said it would "insist on the guiding principles of Marxism and reflect the Chinese style.” “All primary and secondary school teaching material must reflect the will of the party and the country,” it said, adding, so that "students bear the great responsibility of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” China's latest move comes amid reports of the Communist Party preparing to rewrite the holy books of Islam and Christianity amid the crackdown on Uighurs in Xinjiang. Last year, the Communist nation had released a code of ethics for Chinese journalists. The code said journalists needed to safeguard the country's political and cultural security and social stability while urging the press to report on people-centered approach at work. The code also insisted journalists report truly and accurately on events and make full use of technology.

Now, China bans foreign teaching material in schools

New editions of the Quran and the Bible are to exclude content that goes against the beliefs of China’s leading Communist Party as part of a project calling for a "comprehensive evaluation of the existing religious classics aiming at contents which do not conform to the progress of the times,’’ it said citing a top party official. #Bible #Quran #China #Uighurs #WION

Reports: China planning to re-write the holy books Bible & Quran

China has an uneasy relationship with the idea of religion. On WION Edit, we discuss how far can the government meddle in the matter of faith?

In one of the earlier works of Karl Marx, the ideologue of modern communism, there is a powerful passage. "Religion is the opium of the people. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions."

Mixing religion with politics is like fighting a losing battle and China is indulging in this nefarious game. Beijing is manipulating many religions to suit the needs of the Chinese communist state and its politics.

Recently, Beijing revised its religious affairs regulations which has restricted right to freedom of religion. According to the new rules, you can have your religious belief, but you cannot propagate it.

In other words, the government is going after religious organisations. The rules say religious organisations cannot be profit-making.

Even the religion of the majority community, Buddhism has struggled under the communist regime. Unlike Taiwan, China has not produced a spiritual leader of significance in decades.

Under Xi Jinping, Chinese Buddhism gets state support, but the religion functions for a reason.

The communist government demands religious leaders to unite believers to be patriotic and disseminate religious teachings with patriotic values.

The biggest mistake that communism in China does is to mix the political with the personal - the same mistake that the Soviet Union did for several decades.

Faith or belief is a matter of personal choice. China's abuse of religion as a tool to achieve political homogeneity is deplorable. Using religion as a tool to attract people to a political ideology, like in China, is downright unethical and can only lead to disastrous consequences.

(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

 
&nbsp;

China has an uneasy relationship with the idea of religion. On WION Edit, we discuss how far can the government meddle in the matter of faith? In one of the earlier works of Karl Marx, the ideologue of modern communism, there is a powerful passage.

China has an uneasy relationship with the idea of religion. On WION Edit, we discuss how far can the government meddle in the matter of faith? In one of the earlier works of Karl Marx, the ideologue of modern communism, there is a powerful passage. "Religion is the opium of the people. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions." Mixing religion with politics is like fighting a losing battle and China is indulging in this nefarious game. Beijing is manipulating many religions to suit the needs of the Chinese communist state and its politics. Recently, Beijing revised its religious affairs regulations which has restricted right to freedom of religion. According to the new rules, you can have your religious belief, but you cannot propagate it. In other words, the government is going after religious organisations. The rules say religious organisations cannot be profit-making. Even the religion of the majority community, Buddhism has struggled under the communist regime. Unlike Taiwan, China has not produced a spiritual leader of significance in decades. Under Xi Jinping, Chinese Buddhism gets state support, but the religion functions for a reason. The communist government demands religious leaders to unite believers to be patriotic and disseminate religious teachings with patriotic values. The biggest mistake that communism in China does is to mix the political with the personal - the same mistake that the Soviet Union did for several decades. Faith or belief is a matter of personal choice. China's abuse of religion as a tool to achieve political homogeneity is deplorable. Using religion as a tool to attract people to a political ideology, like in China, is downright unethical and can only lead to disastrous consequences. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: China's clamp down on religious activities

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-police-arrest-man-who-at-officers-seize-guns-269548">Hong Kong</a> pro-democracy protesters rallied in solidarity with China's Uighurs on Sunday in a move likely to infuriate Beijing as they likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority.

The rally was broken up when riot police swooped in after some protesters removed a Chinese flag from a nearby government building.

China has faced international condemnation for rounding up an estimated one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities in internment camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang.

The emergence of a huge surveillance and prison system that now blankets much of Xinjiang has been watched closely in Hong Kong which has been convulsed by six months of huge and sometimes violent protests against Beijing's rule.

Pro-Uighur chants and flags have become commonplace in Hong Kong's marches but Sunday's rally was the first to be specifically dedicated to Uighurs.

Around 1,000 people gathered in a square close to the city's harbourfront listening to speeches warning that the Chinese Communist Party's crackdown in Xinjiang could one day be replicated in Hong Kong.

"We shall not forget those who share a common goal with us, our struggle for freedom and democracy and the rage against the Chinese Communist Party," one speaker shouted through the loudspeaker to cheers from the crowd.

Many of those attending were waving the flag of "East Turkestan", the term many Uighur separatists use for Xinjiang, which has a white crescent moon on a blue background.

Others wore blue face masks with the East Turkestan flag on it. &nbsp;

China runs Hong Kong on a "one country, two systems" model which allows the financial hub key freedoms that are denied people on the authoritarian mainland.

Come 2047 -- 50 years after Britain handed the city back -- the deal ends.&nbsp;

Many Hong Kongers fear an increasingly assertive China is already eroding those freedoms, especially since Xi Jinping became president.

Many at Sunday's rally said they felt a mainland style government is around the corner.

"The Chinese government are control freaks, they can't stand any opinions they disagree with," Katherine, a protester in her late twenties and a civil servant, told AFP before police moved in.

"In Xinjiang they are doing what they are doing because they have the power to do so. When they take over Hong Kong they will do the same," she added.

China rolled out a sweeping crackdown on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities after a series of deadly attacks by militants.

It bristles at any criticism of its policies in Xinjiang and warns against foreign criticism.&nbsp;

Beijing initially denied the existence of the Xinjiang camps, but now says they are "vocational training centres" necessary to combat terrorism.

Few Muslim countries have openly criticised China given its huge economic clout.

But increasingly high profile figures are speaking out.&nbsp;

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, a German of Turkish origin, criticised China's actions last week and the Muslim community's silence but has since come under a barrage of attacks from Beijing.

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters rallied in solidarity with China's Uighurs on Sunday in a move likely to infuriate Beijing as they likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority.

Hong Kong pro-democracy protesters rallied in solidarity with China's Uighurs on Sunday in a move likely to infuriate Beijing as they likened their plight to that of the oppressed Muslim minority. The rally was broken up when riot police swooped in after some protesters removed a Chinese flag from a nearby government building. China has faced international condemnation for rounding up an estimated one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic minorities in internment camps in the northwestern region of Xinjiang. The emergence of a huge surveillance and prison system that now blankets much of Xinjiang has been watched closely in Hong Kong which has been convulsed by six months of huge and sometimes violent protests against Beijing's rule. Pro-Uighur chants and flags have become commonplace in Hong Kong's marches but Sunday's rally was the first to be specifically dedicated to Uighurs. Around 1,000 people gathered in a square close to the city's harbourfront listening to speeches warning that the Chinese Communist Party's crackdown in Xinjiang could one day be replicated in Hong Kong. "We shall not forget those who share a common goal with us, our struggle for freedom and democracy and the rage against the Chinese Communist Party," one speaker shouted through the loudspeaker to cheers from the crowd. Many of those attending were waving the flag of "East Turkestan", the term many Uighur separatists use for Xinjiang, which has a white crescent moon on a blue background. Others wore blue face masks with the East Turkestan flag on it. China runs Hong Kong on a "one country, two systems" model which allows the financial hub key freedoms that are denied people on the authoritarian mainland. Come 2047 -- 50 years after Britain handed the city back -- the deal ends. Many Hong Kongers fear an increasingly assertive China is already eroding those freedoms, especially since Xi Jinping became president. Many at Sunday's rally said they felt a mainland style government is around the corner. "The Chinese government are control freaks, they can't stand any opinions they disagree with," Katherine, a protester in her late twenties and a civil servant, told AFP before police moved in. "In Xinjiang they are doing what they are doing because they have the power to do so. When they take over Hong Kong they will do the same," she added. China rolled out a sweeping crackdown on Uighurs and other Muslim minorities after a series of deadly attacks by militants. It bristles at any criticism of its policies in Xinjiang and warns against foreign criticism. Beijing initially denied the existence of the Xinjiang camps, but now says they are "vocational training centres" necessary to combat terrorism. Few Muslim countries have openly criticised China given its huge economic clout. But increasingly high profile figures are speaking out. Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, a German of Turkish origin, criticised China's actions last week and the Muslim community's silence but has since come under a barrage of attacks from Beijing.

'We're next': Hong Kongers rally for China's Uighurs

Thousands of protesters marched in support of China's Uighurs in Istanbul on Friday and voiced solidarity with Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil after the furore caused by his criticism of China's policies toward the Muslim minority. #Uighurs #Ozil #China #WION

Istanbul: Thousands march in support of Uighurs getting inspired by Ozil

Recent US legislation on Xinjiang is a severe violation of international law and gross interference in China's internal affairs, the governor of the far western region said on Monday, accusing the United States of launching a smear campaign.

Tension has flared in recent weeks between China and the United States over issues such as Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority and protesters in Hong Kong, complicating prospects for a near-term deal to end a 17-month long trade war.

Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill requiring a tougher response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. U.N. experts and activists say China has detained possibly 1 million Uighurs in camps in Xinjiang.

China, which has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs, says the camps are part of an anti-terror crackdown and provide vocational training.

The counter-terrorism measures in Xinjiang are no different from anti-terrorism measures in the United States, the region's governor, Shohrat Zakir, told reporters in Beijing.

The United States has chosen to turn a blind eye to Xinjiang's social stability, and is launching a smear campaign against the region and using issues there to sow discord among ethnic groups in China, he added.

Any attempt to disable Xinjiang is doomed to fail, said Zakir, who is also deputy secretary of the Xinjiang Communist Party.

Human rights groups and former detainees have said conditions in the camps are poor, with inmates subject to psychological and physical abuse.

At Zakir's news conference in the Chinese capital, images of past violence were displayed in excerpts from an English-language documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang", aired on China's state broadcaster CGTN.

The Uighur bill, which was passed 407-1 in the Democratic-controlled House, requires the US president to condemn abuses against Muslims and calls for the closure of the camps in Xinjiang.

It also calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions for the first time on a member of China's powerful politburo, Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo.

Recent US legislation on Xinjiang is a severe violation of international law and gross interference in China's internal affairs, the governor of the far western region said on Monday, accusing the United States of launching a smear campaign.

Recent US legislation on Xinjiang is a severe violation of international law and gross interference in China's internal affairs, the governor of the far western region said on Monday, accusing the United States of launching a smear campaign. Tension has flared in recent weeks between China and the United States over issues such as Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority and protesters in Hong Kong, complicating prospects for a near-term deal to end a 17-month long trade war. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill requiring a tougher response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. U.N. experts and activists say China has detained possibly 1 million Uighurs in camps in Xinjiang. China, which has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs, says the camps are part of an anti-terror crackdown and provide vocational training. The counter-terrorism measures in Xinjiang are no different from anti-terrorism measures in the United States, the region's governor, Shohrat Zakir, told reporters in Beijing. The United States has chosen to turn a blind eye to Xinjiang's social stability, and is launching a smear campaign against the region and using issues there to sow discord among ethnic groups in China, he added. Any attempt to disable Xinjiang is doomed to fail, said Zakir, who is also deputy secretary of the Xinjiang Communist Party. Human rights groups and former detainees have said conditions in the camps are poor, with inmates subject to psychological and physical abuse. At Zakir's news conference in the Chinese capital, images of past violence were displayed in excerpts from an English-language documentary, "Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang", aired on China's state broadcaster CGTN. The Uighur bill, which was passed 407-1 in the Democratic-controlled House, requires the US president to condemn abuses against Muslims and calls for the closure of the camps in Xinjiang. It also calls on President Donald Trump to impose sanctions for the first time on a member of China's powerful politburo, Xinjiang Communist Party Secretary Chen Quanguo.

US bill on China's Xinjiang violates international law, regional official says

It's not just Pakistani girls who are trafficked to China, but Beijing is fast gaining notoriety as the trafficking capital of the world.

On WION edit, we will dig deep into china's trafficking problem. At the heart of this brutal human rights violation is China's one-child policy for 35 years, Chinese couples were allowed to have only one child.

The rule was relaxed in 2015, but the repercussions continue. There are 34 million more men in china than women.

This is because of an overwhelming preference for boys due to the one-child policy. Like trafficking, abortions of female foetuses, as well as cases of female infanticide, have also risen.

The restriction on women's reproductive rights continues because the communist state maintains its own 'right' to restrict family size.

This is a draconian demographic control that has turned into a human rights disaster. The case of missing girls of China has forced trafficking of girls to China.

Not only Pakistan, but bride trafficking from northern Myanmar to china has also risen. Many of these women belong to ethnic minorities in Myanmar.

Women facing harassment at home are lured by promises of employment in China. Once they reach China, they are sold for anywhere between $3000-$3,000.

These women are put in jails and then sold to produce babies as quickly as possible. Trafficked, turned into sex slaves and then child-bearing machines.

If you wonder why such a large-scale problem has never caused a public furore, here is the answer:

Violence against women is not a priority for most of these governments.

And they cannot take on China as they depend on Beijing and they won't risk the relationship for women.

Earlier this year, China's police said that it has rescued over a thousand South-East Asian female trafficking victims and arrested as many suspects.

But there are no follow-up reports on the statement. Women and children are trafficked for prostitution and men from these countries are trafficked for forced labour.

These people are threatened to work for long hours in agriculture, logging, construction, mining and garment industries, often without any breaks.

There are no laws to stop such crimes against humanity. Two years ago, the US state department placed China in tier-3 on a trafficking list.

China is the trafficking hub of the world. it ratified the u-n trafficking prohibition protocol in 2009, but china's own law remains sketchy...

Punishment for forced labour is just 3 years in jail and traffickers often escape without action. And China escapes because of its economic might.

But the world just cannot sit and watch this gruesome violation unfold because Beijing has money. Trafficking is a blatant murder of human rights, China must be stopped. 
 
(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

It's not just Pakistani girls who are trafficked to China, but Beijing is fast gaining notoriety as the trafficking capital of the world. On WION edit, we will dig deep into china's trafficking problem.

It's not just Pakistani girls who are trafficked to China, but Beijing is fast gaining notoriety as the trafficking capital of the world. On WION edit, we will dig deep into china's trafficking problem. At the heart of this brutal human rights violation is China's one-child policy for 35 years, Chinese couples were allowed to have only one child. The rule was relaxed in 2015, but the repercussions continue. There are 34 million more men in china than women. This is because of an overwhelming preference for boys due to the one-child policy. Like trafficking, abortions of female foetuses, as well as cases of female infanticide, have also risen. The restriction on women's reproductive rights continues because the communist state maintains its own 'right' to restrict family size. This is a draconian demographic control that has turned into a human rights disaster. The case of missing girls of China has forced trafficking of girls to China. Not only Pakistan, but bride trafficking from northern Myanmar to china has also risen. Many of these women belong to ethnic minorities in Myanmar. Women facing harassment at home are lured by promises of employment in China. Once they reach China, they are sold for anywhere between $3000-$3,000. These women are put in jails and then sold to produce babies as quickly as possible. Trafficked, turned into sex slaves and then child-bearing machines. If you wonder why such a large-scale problem has never caused a public furore, here is the answer: Violence against women is not a priority for most of these governments. And they cannot take on China as they depend on Beijing and they won't risk the relationship for women. Earlier this year, China's police said that it has rescued over a thousand South-East Asian female trafficking victims and arrested as many suspects. But there are no follow-up reports on the statement. Women and children are trafficked for prostitution and men from these countries are trafficked for forced labour. These people are threatened to work for long hours in agriculture, logging, construction, mining and garment industries, often without any breaks. There are no laws to stop such crimes against humanity. Two years ago, the US state department placed China in tier-3 on a trafficking list. China is the trafficking hub of the world. it ratified the u-n trafficking prohibition protocol in 2009, but china's own law remains sketchy... Punishment for forced labour is just 3 years in jail and traffickers often escape without action. And China escapes because of its economic might. But the world just cannot sit and watch this gruesome violation unfold because Beijing has money. Trafficking is a blatant murder of human rights, China must be stopped. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: Inside China's human trafficking problem

Chinese official media excoriated the United States and called for harsh reprisals in editorials on Thursday after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-a-price-must-be-paid-over-us-uighur-bill-266177">US&nbsp;House of Representatives passed legislation</a> requiring a stronger response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority.

The commentaries follow warnings from China on Wednesday that the legislation could affect bilateral cooperation, including a near-term deal to end the two countries' trade war.

A front-page editorial in the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper said the passage of the US&nbsp;legislation "harbours evil intent and is extremely sinister".

"Underestimating the determination and will of the Chinese people is doomed to fail," it said.

By a vote of 407 to 1, the US&nbsp;House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the Uighur bill, which would require the Trump administration to toughen its response to China's crackdown in Xinjiang, a region in China's far west.

The bill still has to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate before being sent to US&nbsp;President Donald Trump to sign into law.

Watch: US House ramps up China tensions with passing Uighur Bill

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-house-ramps-up-china-tensions-with-passing-uighur-bill-266047/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The White House has yet to say whether Trump would sign or veto the bill, which contains a provision allowing the president to waive sanctions if he determines that to be in the national interest.

UN&nbsp;experts and activists say China has detained possibly one million Uighurs in mass detention camps in Xinjiang.

China says the camps are part of an anti-terror crackdown and are providing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-house-approves-uighur-bill-demanding-sanctions-on-senior-chinese-officials-266033">vocational training</a>. It denies any mistreatment of Uighurs.

The English-language China Daily called the bill a "stab in the back, given Beijing's efforts to stabilise the already turbulent China-US&nbsp;relationship".

"It seems an odds-on bet that more (sanctions) can be expected if the latest approval for State Department meddling goes into the statute books," it said.

The English-language edition of the Global Times, a nationalist tabloid published by the People's Daily, said China should be prepared for a "long-term battle with the US"

The editorials echoed comments by Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, who said on Wednesday that "any wrong words and deeds must pay the due price."

The official commentary also took aim at the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, recently signed into law by Trump.

The act requires the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-secrets-of-chinas-xinjiang-camps-leaked-to-foreign-media-264363">US&nbsp;State Department</a> to certify at least annually that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to justify favourable US&nbsp;trading terms and threatens sanctions for human rights violations

A front-page editorial in the overseas edition of the People's Daily framed the bill as a US&nbsp;attempt to use Hong Kong to contain China, calling such a move "idiotic nonsense".

"The Chinese government will in no way allow anyone to act wilfully in Hong Kong, and must take effective measures to prevent, contain and counteract external forces from interfering in Hong Kong affairs."

Hong Kong has been wracked by nearly six months of often violent protests, with demonstrators demanding greater democratic freedoms in the Chinese city.

Chinese official media excoriated the United States and called for harsh reprisals in editorials on Thursday after the US House of Representatives passed legislation requiring a stronger response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority.

Chinese official media excoriated the United States and called for harsh reprisals in editorials on Thursday after the US House of Representatives passed legislation requiring a stronger response to Beijing's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. The commentaries follow warnings from China on Wednesday that the legislation could affect bilateral cooperation, including a near-term deal to end the two countries' trade war. A front-page editorial in the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily newspaper said the passage of the US legislation "harbours evil intent and is extremely sinister". "Underestimating the determination and will of the Chinese people is doomed to fail," it said. By a vote of 407 to 1, the US House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the Uighur bill, which would require the Trump administration to toughen its response to China's crackdown in Xinjiang, a region in China's far west. The bill still has to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate before being sent to US President Donald Trump to sign into law. Watch: US House ramps up China tensions with passing Uighur Bill The White House has yet to say whether Trump would sign or veto the bill, which contains a provision allowing the president to waive sanctions if he determines that to be in the national interest. UN experts and activists say China has detained possibly one million Uighurs in mass detention camps in Xinjiang. China says the camps are part of an anti-terror crackdown and are providing vocational training. It denies any mistreatment of Uighurs. The English-language China Daily called the bill a "stab in the back, given Beijing's efforts to stabilise the already turbulent China-US relationship". "It seems an odds-on bet that more (sanctions) can be expected if the latest approval for State Department meddling goes into the statute books," it said. The English-language edition of the Global Times, a nationalist tabloid published by the People's Daily, said China should be prepared for a "long-term battle with the US" The editorials echoed comments by Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying, who said on Wednesday that "any wrong words and deeds must pay the due price." The official commentary also took aim at the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, recently signed into law by Trump. The act requires the US State Department to certify at least annually that Hong Kong retains enough autonomy to justify favourable US trading terms and threatens sanctions for human rights violations A front-page editorial in the overseas edition of the People's Daily framed the bill as a US attempt to use Hong Kong to contain China, calling such a move "idiotic nonsense". "The Chinese government will in no way allow anyone to act wilfully in Hong Kong, and must take effective measures to prevent, contain and counteract external forces from interfering in Hong Kong affairs." Hong Kong has been wracked by nearly six months of often violent protests, with demonstrators demanding greater democratic freedoms in the Chinese city.

Chinese media blasts US for Uighur bill, calls for action

A Czech mayor’s refusal to endorse Beijing’s One China policy potentially sets a high bar as Western powers grapple with how to respond to allegations of excessive use of violence by police against Hong Kong protesters and the implications of leaked documents detailing a brutal crackdown in China’s north-western province of Xinjiang.

Prague mayor Zdenek Hrib rejected a sister city agreement between the Czech capital and Beijing in late October because it included a clause endorsing the One China policy, which implicitly recognizes China's sovereignty over Taiwan, as well as Hong Kong and Tibet.

Hrib argued that the agreement was a cultural arrangement and not designed to address foreign policy issues that were the prerogative of the national government.

The mayor’s stance has since taken on added significance against the backdrop of US President Donald J Trump’s signing of legislation that allows for the sanctioning of Hong Kong officials, embarrassing Communist party leaks that document repression in Xinjiang, the election of a new Sri Lankan government that intends to adopt a tougher policy towards China, and simmering anti-Chinese sentiment in Central Asia and beyond.

Hrib’s rejection was, in fact, a reflection of anti-Chinese sentiment in the Czech Republic as well as opposition to the pro-China policy adopted by Czech president Milos Zeman.

To be sure, Hrib, a 38-year old medical doctor who interned in Taiwan, was shouldering little political or economic risk given Czech public anger at China’s failure to fulfil promises of significant investment in the country.

On the contrary, Hrib, since becoming mayor in mid-2018, appears to have made it his pastime to put Zeman on the spot by poking a finger at China.

Hrib visited Taiwan in the first six months of his mayorship, flew the Tibetan flag over Prague’s city hall, and rejected a request by the Chinese ambassador at a meeting with foreign diplomats to send Taiwanese representatives out of the room.

Beijing’s cancellation of a tour of China by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in response to Hrib’s provocations forced Zeman to describe the Chinese retaliation as “excessive” and his foreign minister, Tomas Petricek, to declare that "diplomacy is not conducted with threats."

Perhaps more importantly, Hrib was taking a stand based on principles and values rather than interests. In doing so, he was challenging the new normal of world leaders flagrantly ignoring international law to operate on the principle of might is right.

"Our conscience is not for sale," said Michaela Krausova, a leading member of the governing Pirate Party of the Prague city council. Krausova and Hrib’s party was founded to shake up Czech politics with its insistence on the safeguarding of civil liberties and political accountability and transparency.

While couched in terms of principle, Hrib’s stand strokes with newly installed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s intention to wrest back control from China of the island’s strategic Hambantota port that serves key shipping lanes between Europe and Asia.

Hambantota became a symbol of what some critics have charged is Chinese debt-trap diplomacy after Sri Lanka was forced to hand over the port to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease because the government was unable to repay loans taken to build it.

"I believe that the Sri Lankan government must have control of all strategically important projects like Hambantota. The next generation will curse our generation for giving away precious assets otherwise," Rajapaksa said.

Fears of a debt trap coupled with the crackdown on Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, which targets not only Uighurs but also groups that trace their roots to Central Asian countries, have fuelled anti-Chinese sentiment in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan.

“Given that China is likely to continue to expand its presence, further irritating local publics, the temptation of opposition groups to exploit such anger will only grow. If that happens…the anti-Chinese demonstrations that have taken place to date will be only the prelude to a situation that could easily spiral out of control, ethnicizing politics in these countries still further,” said Central Asia scholar Paul Goble.

Beyond Xinjiang, anti-Chinese sentiment in Central Asia is fuelled by some of the same drivers that inform Czech attitudes towards China.

The shared drivers include unfulfilled promises, idle incomplete Chinese-funded infrastructure projects, widespread corruption associated with Chinese funding, and the influx of Chinese labour and materials at the expense of the local workforce and manufacturers.

Beyond Xinjiang, Central Asians worry about potential debt traps. The Washington-based Center for Global Development listed last year two Central Asian nations, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as risking China-related “debt distress.”

Warned China and Central Asia scholar Ayjaz Wani: “Chinese principles in Central Asia are hegemonic. China has always interacted with Central Asian states without regarding their cultural identities, but according to its own vested interests… However, the ongoing anti-China sentiments may be coming to a tipping point.” 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

A Czech mayor’s refusal to endorse Beijing’s One China policy potentially sets a high bar as Western powers grapple with how to respond to allegations of excessive use of violence by police against Hong Kong protesters and the implications of leaked documents detailing a brutal crackdown in China’s north-western province of Xinjiang.

A Czech mayor’s refusal to endorse Beijing’s One China policy potentially sets a high bar as Western powers grapple with how to respond to allegations of excessive use of violence by police against Hong Kong protesters and the implications of leaked documents detailing a brutal crackdown in China’s north-western province of Xinjiang. Prague mayor Zdenek Hrib rejected a sister city agreement between the Czech capital and Beijing in late October because it included a clause endorsing the One China policy, which implicitly recognizes China's sovereignty over Taiwan, as well as Hong Kong and Tibet. Hrib argued that the agreement was a cultural arrangement and not designed to address foreign policy issues that were the prerogative of the national government. The mayor’s stance has since taken on added significance against the backdrop of US President Donald J Trump’s signing of legislation that allows for the sanctioning of Hong Kong officials, embarrassing Communist party leaks that document repression in Xinjiang, the election of a new Sri Lankan government that intends to adopt a tougher policy towards China, and simmering anti-Chinese sentiment in Central Asia and beyond. Hrib’s rejection was, in fact, a reflection of anti-Chinese sentiment in the Czech Republic as well as opposition to the pro-China policy adopted by Czech president Milos Zeman. To be sure, Hrib, a 38-year old medical doctor who interned in Taiwan, was shouldering little political or economic risk given Czech public anger at China’s failure to fulfil promises of significant investment in the country. On the contrary, Hrib, since becoming mayor in mid-2018, appears to have made it his pastime to put Zeman on the spot by poking a finger at China. Hrib visited Taiwan in the first six months of his mayorship, flew the Tibetan flag over Prague’s city hall, and rejected a request by the Chinese ambassador at a meeting with foreign diplomats to send Taiwanese representatives out of the room. Beijing’s cancellation of a tour of China by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra in response to Hrib’s provocations forced Zeman to describe the Chinese retaliation as “excessive” and his foreign minister, Tomas Petricek, to declare that "diplomacy is not conducted with threats." Perhaps more importantly, Hrib was taking a stand based on principles and values rather than interests. In doing so, he was challenging the new normal of world leaders flagrantly ignoring international law to operate on the principle of might is right. "Our conscience is not for sale," said Michaela Krausova, a leading member of the governing Pirate Party of the Prague city council. Krausova and Hrib’s party was founded to shake up Czech politics with its insistence on the safeguarding of civil liberties and political accountability and transparency. While couched in terms of principle, Hrib’s stand strokes with newly installed Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s intention to wrest back control from China of the island’s strategic Hambantota port that serves key shipping lanes between Europe and Asia. Hambantota became a symbol of what some critics have charged is Chinese debt-trap diplomacy after Sri Lanka was forced to hand over the port to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease because the government was unable to repay loans taken to build it. "I believe that the Sri Lankan government must have control of all strategically important projects like Hambantota. The next generation will curse our generation for giving away precious assets otherwise," Rajapaksa said. Fears of a debt trap coupled with the crackdown on Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, which targets not only Uighurs but also groups that trace their roots to Central Asian countries, have fuelled anti-Chinese sentiment in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Kazakhstan. “Given that China is likely to continue to expand its presence, further irritating local publics, the temptation of opposition groups to exploit such anger will only grow. If that happens…the anti-Chinese demonstrations that have taken place to date will be only the prelude to a situation that could easily spiral out of control, ethnicizing politics in these countries still further,” said Central Asia scholar Paul Goble. Beyond Xinjiang, anti-Chinese sentiment in Central Asia is fuelled by some of the same drivers that inform Czech attitudes towards China. The shared drivers include unfulfilled promises, idle incomplete Chinese-funded infrastructure projects, widespread corruption associated with Chinese funding, and the influx of Chinese labour and materials at the expense of the local workforce and manufacturers. Beyond Xinjiang, Central Asians worry about potential debt traps. The Washington-based Center for Global Development listed last year two Central Asian nations, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as risking China-related “debt distress.” Warned China and Central Asia scholar Ayjaz Wani: “Chinese principles in Central Asia are hegemonic. China has always interacted with Central Asian states without regarding their cultural identities, but according to its own vested interests… However, the ongoing anti-China sentiments may be coming to a tipping point.” (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Standing up to China's alleged human rights abuses

Two Leaks Reveal The Plight Of Uighurs In China Even As Hong Kong Votes For Democracy.

Gravitas: Detention Camps In Xinjiang: Highly Classified Documents Leak

Gravitas: Is China Witnessing A Silent Rebellion?

NYT Report On Leaked Documents Exposes Xi Jinping's Hand In Oppressing Uighur Muslims In Xinjiang

Gravitas: The Chilling story of Uighurs in China

Understanding China's Institutionalised Abuse Of Uighurs.

Gravitas: Medical experiments, torture & rapes - how China treats Uighurs

For a second time in three months, India has abstained from a U.N. vote on Uighurs. It happened on the same day when China called India's Kashmir decision 'unlawful and void'. Why is India shying from taking a stand against China?

Gravitas: India abstains from vote on Uighurs at the U.N.

The United States takes on China on the issue of Uighurs.

U.S Attacks China on Uighurs

Pakistan PM Is A Self-Declared Saviour Of Human Rights, But It Seems He Doesn't Want To Say A Word About Uighurs In China.

Gravitas: China's Treatment Of Uighurs: Imran Khan Still Plays Ignorant

Xi Jinping Is Suffering A Crisis Of Confidence Trade war with the U.S., pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, economic slowdown, detention of Uighurs, this is the most challenging phase in Xi Jinping's political career. This report explains.

Gravitas: The Most Challenging Phase In Xi Jinping's Political Career

The U.S. blacklisted 28 Chinese organisations which were involved in abuses against Uighurs in Xinjiang province. 8 Chinese tech companies put on the so-called entity list.

U.S. blacklisted 28 Chinese organisations, involved in abuses against Uighurs

US hits China on Hong Kong, Uighurs and trade in UN speech

Pak PM feigns ignorance on Uighurs, Imran Khan says, ''China is the best friend''. Watch this video to know more.

Pak PM feigns ignorance on Uighurs, Imran Khan says, ''China is Pak's best friend''

US&nbsp;Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-hits-out-at-mike-pompeo-warns-hopes-for-us-talks-disappearing-246829">United States</a> would use the United Nations General Assembly this month to persuade countries to help "call out" China over treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority.

Asked after a speech at Kansas State University how Washington had been promoting an end to the oppression of Uighurs in China, Pompeo told an audience there: "Insufficiently, because it's still going on."

"We are going to have this UN General Assembly in the third week in September. We'll do a number of gatherings, where our efforts will be to get other countries to sign up to help us call out this activity," Pompeo said.

"We want freedom for those folks. We have lots of challenges with China, but this is about their fundamental unalienable rights for those particular individuals."

Pompeo, an evangelical Christian who has portrayed himself as a champion of religious rights, reiterated past comments, saying that the treatment of the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in China "may well end up being one of the worst stains on the world this century."

"It's of that magnitude," he said, adding that the challenge was to "rally the world" against it.

"We have done so today with some success, but not nearly enough, to call this out and work with the Chinese government, to convince them - to convince the Chinese Communist Party - that this isn't in their best interests ... that it's not the right way to treat ... other human beings," Pompeo said.

In his speech, Pompeo charged that over the past two years in its western region of Xinjiang, China had "tried to brainwash coming on one million Uighur Muslims in internment camps ... to renounce their culture and their faith."

He dismissed Chinese claims that the camps were meant to "educate and to save" people influenced by religious extremism.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

China defends record

China has consistently denied any mistreatment of Uighurs in what it calls vocational training centres, which it says have been extremely successful in combating extremism and violence.

Hundreds have died in unrest in Xinjiang in recent years, blamed by Beijing on Islamists and extremists. Rights groups and exiles say the violence is more a reaction against China's suppression of the Uighur people.

In a speech on tackling extremism in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi on Friday, China's deputy propaganda minister Jiang Jianguo said the world had a responsibility to come together to counter terrorism, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The international community should "clearly oppose 'double standards' in countering terrorism and extremism, and further form a consensus and cooperate against terrorism and extremism," Xinhua cited Jiang as saying.

Though the United States has ramped up criticism of China's measures in Xinjiang, it has refrained from responding with sanctions over the issue, amid on-again-off-again talks to resolve a bitter and costly trade war.

The Trump administration has been considering sanctions against Chinese officials, including Xinjiang's Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo, a member of the Chinese leadership's powerful politburo, since last year, but has held off amid Chinese threats of retaliation.

Some in the US Congress and other critics have been dismayed by Trump's apparent tendency to place efforts to resolve the trade dispute above human rights concerns.

A White House official said on Friday that a major speech by Vice President Mike Pence that had been scheduled for June and expected to take a tough line on Beijing had been rescheduled for the fall.

The official, who did not want to be identified, said the tone of the speech would be dictated by the needs of the moment.

Last October, Pence shocked some China watchers with a speech in which he laid out a litany of complaints against Beijing, chastising China for building "an unparalleled surveillance state" and its treatment of the Uighurs.

China said on Tuesday it had lodged stern representations with the United States about previous comments by Pompeo about Xinjiang.

China's Foreign Ministry said Pompeo was just repeating his old narratives to accuse China, which China firmly opposed.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the United States would use the United Nations General Assembly this month to persuade countries to help "call out" China over treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday the United States would use the United Nations General Assembly this month to persuade countries to help "call out" China over treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority. Asked after a speech at Kansas State University how Washington had been promoting an end to the oppression of Uighurs in China, Pompeo told an audience there: "Insufficiently, because it's still going on." "We are going to have this UN General Assembly in the third week in September. We'll do a number of gatherings, where our efforts will be to get other countries to sign up to help us call out this activity," Pompeo said. "We want freedom for those folks. We have lots of challenges with China, but this is about their fundamental unalienable rights for those particular individuals." Pompeo, an evangelical Christian who has portrayed himself as a champion of religious rights, reiterated past comments, saying that the treatment of the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in China "may well end up being one of the worst stains on the world this century." "It's of that magnitude," he said, adding that the challenge was to "rally the world" against it. "We have done so today with some success, but not nearly enough, to call this out and work with the Chinese government, to convince them - to convince the Chinese Communist Party - that this isn't in their best interests ... that it's not the right way to treat ... other human beings," Pompeo said. In his speech, Pompeo charged that over the past two years in its western region of Xinjiang, China had "tried to brainwash coming on one million Uighur Muslims in internment camps ... to renounce their culture and their faith." He dismissed Chinese claims that the camps were meant to "educate and to save" people influenced by religious extremism. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. China defends record China has consistently denied any mistreatment of Uighurs in what it calls vocational training centres, which it says have been extremely successful in combating extremism and violence. Hundreds have died in unrest in Xinjiang in recent years, blamed by Beijing on Islamists and extremists. Rights groups and exiles say the violence is more a reaction against China's suppression of the Uighur people. In a speech on tackling extremism in Xinjiang's capital Urumqi on Friday, China's deputy propaganda minister Jiang Jianguo said the world had a responsibility to come together to counter terrorism, state news agency Xinhua reported. The international community should "clearly oppose 'double standards' in countering terrorism and extremism, and further form a consensus and cooperate against terrorism and extremism," Xinhua cited Jiang as saying. Though the United States has ramped up criticism of China's measures in Xinjiang, it has refrained from responding with sanctions over the issue, amid on-again-off-again talks to resolve a bitter and costly trade war. The Trump administration has been considering sanctions against Chinese officials, including Xinjiang's Communist Party chief Chen Quanguo, a member of the Chinese leadership's powerful politburo, since last year, but has held off amid Chinese threats of retaliation. Some in the US Congress and other critics have been dismayed by Trump's apparent tendency to place efforts to resolve the trade dispute above human rights concerns. A White House official said on Friday that a major speech by Vice President Mike Pence that had been scheduled for June and expected to take a tough line on Beijing had been rescheduled for the fall. The official, who did not want to be identified, said the tone of the speech would be dictated by the needs of the moment. Last October, Pence shocked some China watchers with a speech in which he laid out a litany of complaints against Beijing, chastising China for building "an unparalleled surveillance state" and its treatment of the Uighurs. China said on Tuesday it had lodged stern representations with the United States about previous comments by Pompeo about Xinjiang. China's Foreign Ministry said Pompeo was just repeating his old narratives to accuse China, which China firmly opposed.

US will aim to persuade others to 'call out' China over Uighurs at UN: Mike Pompeo

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pakistan-proposes-consular-access-to-kulbhushan-jadhav-with-riders-239957">Pakistan proposes consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav with riders</a> 
 
The 42-page verdict was ruled 15 votes to one. The only Judge who ruled against is Ad Hoc Judge Jillani.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/uighurs-challenge-china-to-prove-missing-relatives-are-free-239974">Uighurs challenge China to prove missing relatives are free</a> 
 
Rights groups and experts say more than one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up in internment camps in the tightly-controlled northwest region, home to China's Uighur population.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-chinas-army-garrison-in-hong-kong-releases-video-with-anti-riot-scenes-239968">Watch: China's army garrison in Hong Kong releases video with 'anti-riot' scenes</a> 
 
The three-minute video included footage of troops firing guns and rockets, and of light tanks, attack helicopters and missile launchers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rouhani-says-childish-of-us-to-sanction-iran-foreign-minister-zarif-239925">Rouhani says 'childish' of US to sanction Iran foreign minister Zarif</a> 
 
The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, blocking any property or interests he has in the United States. But Zarif said he had none.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-asking-asean-allies-to-choose-between-us-and-china-mike-pompeo-239944">Not asking ASEAN allies to 'choose' between US and China: Mike Pompeo</a>

The rivalry between the two superpowers is framed by a trade war that has cramped global growth and seeded uncertainty across Asia's economies.

Pakistan proposes consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav with riders The 42-page verdict was ruled 15 votes to one. The only Judge who ruled against is Ad Hoc Judge Jillani.

Pakistan proposes consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav with riders The 42-page verdict was ruled 15 votes to one. The only Judge who ruled against is Ad Hoc Judge Jillani. Uighurs challenge China to prove missing relatives are free Rights groups and experts say more than one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up in internment camps in the tightly-controlled northwest region, home to China's Uighur population. Watch: China's army garrison in Hong Kong releases video with 'anti-riot' scenes The three-minute video included footage of troops firing guns and rockets, and of light tanks, attack helicopters and missile launchers. Rouhani says 'childish' of US to sanction Iran foreign minister Zarif The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, blocking any property or interests he has in the United States. But Zarif said he had none. Not asking ASEAN allies to 'choose' between US and China: Mike Pompeo The rivalry between the two superpowers is framed by a trade war that has cramped global growth and seeded uncertainty across Asia's economies.

News brief: Big stories of the day

China's claim that "most" inmates have been released from re-education camps in its Xinjiang region has been met with anger and scepticism by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ambassadors-of-50-countries-write-to-un-rights-council-backing-chinas-actions-on-uighurs-in-xinjiang-238932">Uighur diaspora</a> which has launched a social media campaign challenging Beijing to prove it.

Rights groups and experts say more than one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up in internment camps in the tightly-controlled northwest region, home to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-calls-chinas-treatment-of-uighurs-stain-of-the-century-237014">China's Uighur population</a>.

But on Tuesday, Xinjiang officials told reporters that "most" people held in the camps had already returned home - though they did not share any figures.

"It's absolutely not true," said Guly Mahsut, a Uighur based in Canada.

"One of my cousins and one of my tour guide friends, and my friend's husband, they are still in the camps," the 37-year-old told AFP.

Mahsut and other overseas Uighurs have responded to China's claim with the hashtag "#Provethe90%", featuring stories and photos of missing friends and family who they have been unable to contact in Xinjiang.

The hashtag is a reference to remarks made by Xinjiang chairman Shohrat Zakir, who told reporters "more than 90 per cent" of those who "return to society...have work that they like and find suitable."

"China does not need to say they released most if they did so," said Arfat Erkin, a Uighur student in the United States who tweeted about his father using the "#Provethe90%" hashtag.

"All it needs is to give journalists normal access to those camps — not staged camps — and give official permission for Uighurs to contact their relatives abroad," he told AFP.

Bahram Sintash, who has posted information about destroyed mosques and neighbourhoods in Xinjiang, also tweeted about his 69-year-old father, a retired editor who Sintash said was taken December 2017.

'Unverifiable statements'

Asked about the scepticism, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday that she was "not aware of the specific number" of people who have left the centres.

She said "the real Xinjiang is a lot different from what was depicted by certain Western media", adding that China has arranged trips to the region for diplomats and foreign journalists.

It is difficult to verify China's claims, as the government has made independent reporting in Xinjiang extremely challenging.

"China is making deceptive and unverifiable statements in a vain attempt to allay worldwide concern for the mass detentions of Uighurs and members of other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang," said Amnesty International's director for East Asia, Nicholas Bequelin.

He said Amnesty had not received any reports of large-scale releases.

On a six-day trip to the region last month, AFP reporters were almost constantly followed by plainclothesmen. They also encountered roadblocks and were turned away by security forces upon nearing some camps.

For Uighur student Erkin, China's claim that "most" detainees have been released does not seem believable given Beijing's initial denial of the very existence of re-education camps last year.

"It's like a joke," he said. "Many people are still detained, including my father and other relatives."

In October 2018, the Chinese government pivoted from outright dismissal to calling the camps "vocational education centres" in the face of mounting evidence in the form of government documents, satellite imagery, and escapee testimony.

'Hopeful Uighurs'

Beijing defends the centres as a necessary counter-extremism measure, where detainees learn subjects like Mandarin and Chinese law.

But former inmates and rights groups say individuals are subjected to political indoctrination and abuse.

One ex-detainee told AFP that he was forced to sing the Chinese national anthem every morning and eat pork, which is prohibited in Islam's religious restrictions.

Even if people are released, "how permanent is it?" said Arslan Hidayat, son-in-law of prominent Uighur comedian Adil Mijit, whom he lost contact with last November.

"They are still in Xinjiang and they can again be arbitrarily detained," he said, adding that inmates could technically be released from re-education centres only to be sent to what some reports have described as forced labour.

"There are still so many hopeful Uighurs," he added, explaining that some believe staying silent could help keep loved ones out of the camps.

Hidayat said China's claim that "most" have left the camps could affect "those who are already scared, people who don't want to speak up, to stop them further".

China's claim that "most" inmates have been released from re-education camps in its Xinjiang region has been met with anger and scepticism by the Uighur diaspora which has launched a social media campaign challenging Beijing to prove it.

China's claim that "most" inmates have been released from re-education camps in its Xinjiang region has been met with anger and scepticism by the Uighur diaspora which has launched a social media campaign challenging Beijing to prove it. Rights groups and experts say more than one million mostly Muslim ethnic minorities have been rounded up in internment camps in the tightly-controlled northwest region, home to China's Uighur population. But on Tuesday, Xinjiang officials told reporters that "most" people held in the camps had already returned home - though they did not share any figures. "It's absolutely not true," said Guly Mahsut, a Uighur based in Canada. "One of my cousins and one of my tour guide friends, and my friend's husband, they are still in the camps," the 37-year-old told AFP. Mahsut and other overseas Uighurs have responded to China's claim with the hashtag "#Provethe90%", featuring stories and photos of missing friends and family who they have been unable to contact in Xinjiang. The hashtag is a reference to remarks made by Xinjiang chairman Shohrat Zakir, who told reporters "more than 90 per cent" of those who "return to society...have work that they like and find suitable." "China does not need to say they released most if they did so," said Arfat Erkin, a Uighur student in the United States who tweeted about his father using the "#Provethe90%" hashtag. "All it needs is to give journalists normal access to those camps — not staged camps — and give official permission for Uighurs to contact their relatives abroad," he told AFP. Bahram Sintash, who has posted information about destroyed mosques and neighbourhoods in Xinjiang, also tweeted about his 69-year-old father, a retired editor who Sintash said was taken December 2017. 'Unverifiable statements' Asked about the scepticism, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Wednesday that she was "not aware of the specific number" of people who have left the centres. She said "the real Xinjiang is a lot different from what was depicted by certain Western media", adding that China has arranged trips to the region for diplomats and foreign journalists. It is difficult to verify China's claims, as the government has made independent reporting in Xinjiang extremely challenging. "China is making deceptive and unverifiable statements in a vain attempt to allay worldwide concern for the mass detentions of Uighurs and members of other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang," said Amnesty International's director for East Asia, Nicholas Bequelin. He said Amnesty had not received any reports of large-scale releases. On a six-day trip to the region last month, AFP reporters were almost constantly followed by plainclothesmen. They also encountered roadblocks and were turned away by security forces upon nearing some camps. For Uighur student Erkin, China's claim that "most" detainees have been released does not seem believable given Beijing's initial denial of the very existence of re-education camps last year. "It's like a joke," he said. "Many people are still detained, including my father and other relatives." In October 2018, the Chinese government pivoted from outright dismissal to calling the camps "vocational education centres" in the face of mounting evidence in the form of government documents, satellite imagery, and escapee testimony. 'Hopeful Uighurs' Beijing defends the centres as a necessary counter-extremism measure, where detainees learn subjects like Mandarin and Chinese law. But former inmates and rights groups say individuals are subjected to political indoctrination and abuse. One ex-detainee told AFP that he was forced to sing the Chinese national anthem every morning and eat pork, which is prohibited in Islam's religious restrictions. Even if people are released, "how permanent is it?" said Arslan Hidayat, son-in-law of prominent Uighur comedian Adil Mijit, whom he lost contact with last November. "They are still in Xinjiang and they can again be arbitrarily detained," he said, adding that inmates could technically be released from re-education centres only to be sent to what some reports have described as forced labour. "There are still so many hopeful Uighurs," he added, explaining that some believe staying silent could help keep loved ones out of the camps. Hidayat said China's claim that "most" have left the camps could affect "those who are already scared, people who don't want to speak up, to stop them further".

Uighurs challenge China to prove missing relatives are free

Chinese officials on Tuesday said "most" individuals held in<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-xinjiang-inseparable-despite-attempts-to-distort-history-237608"> re-education camps in its northwest Xinjiang</a> region have left the centres and found jobs -- though they did not provide any figures.

In Xinjiang, experts and human rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ambassadors-of-50-countries-write-to-un-rights-council-backing-chinas-actions-on-uighurs-in-xinjiang-238932">Muslim minorities are held in a network of camps</a> where they endure political indoctrination.

But Alken Tuniaz, vice chairman of Xinjiang, told reporters at a press briefing that "most personnel who have received educational training have already returned to society and have returned home."

"Right now, most have already completed their studies and obtained employment," he said.

After initially denying their existence, Beijing has gone on a public relations blitz to defend what it calls "vocational education centres" as a necessary measure to counter religious extremism and boost employment.

At a press conference in Beijing, officials from Xinjiang called the centres "effective."

"After these past one to two years of effort, most of the people at the training centres who return to society -- you could say more than 90 per cent -- have found work that they like and find suitable," Shohrat Zakir, chairman of Xinjiang, told reporters.

He also said the centres aim to teach inmates three topics, Chinese law, Mandarin, and "the true meaning of religion."

"We let them know... how to carry out normal religious activities, under the protection of the law," he said.

But former inmates have said following Islamic traditions, such as wearing long beards and face veils, was the reason they were incarcerated in the first place.

A Kazakh businessman, who spent nearly two months in a camp, told AFP the facilities only had one goal,&nbsp;to strip detainees of their religious belief.

Inmates were forced to sing patriotic songs every morning and eat pork, a violation of Islam's religious restrictions, he said.

Re-education camp detainees have also reportedly been used as forced labour at Chinese factories.

In December, an article in the New York Times showed that a United States sportswear company had received a container of T-shirts from Hetian Taida, a company in Xinjiang shown on state television to have been using workers from re-education camps holding Muslim minorities.

Badger Sportswear has since said it would stop sourcing clothing from Hetian Taida in Xinjiang.

"Uighurs are being marginalised, and their culture and identity is being eliminated," said Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman at the exiled World Uyghur Congress, in a statement.

"Taking measures to force people to give up their faith is a strategic policy that the Chinese government is carrying out locally," he added.

'Flaunted' success

Chinese officials spent most of the press briefing praising the economic successes of Xinjiang over the past 70 years, including increases in the gross domestic product, disposable income, and improved infrastructure.

However, these improvements have required an enormous amount of financial support from the central government.

From 2012 to 2018, Beijing provided 1.61 trillion yuan ($23 billion) in subsidies to the Xinjiang government, said Zakir.&nbsp;

Last year, the central government covered a whopping 60 per cent of the region's budgetary expenditures.

Other regions in China have also invested heavily in Xinjiang. According to Zakir, by the end of 2018, 19 provinces and cities in China allocated 103.5 billion yuan ($15 billion) in aid to the region.

"China flaunts economic success to cover up the discrimination, assimilation, and extreme persecution of Uighurs of being implemented locally," said Raxit from the World Uyghur Congress.

Chinese officials on Tuesday said "most" individuals held in re-education camps in its northwest Xinjiang region have left the centres and found jobs -- though they did not provide any figures.

Chinese officials on Tuesday said "most" individuals held in re-education camps in its northwest Xinjiang region have left the centres and found jobs -- though they did not provide any figures. In Xinjiang, experts and human rights groups say more than one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are held in a network of camps where they endure political indoctrination. But Alken Tuniaz, vice chairman of Xinjiang, told reporters at a press briefing that "most personnel who have received educational training have already returned to society and have returned home." "Right now, most have already completed their studies and obtained employment," he said. After initially denying their existence, Beijing has gone on a public relations blitz to defend what it calls "vocational education centres" as a necessary measure to counter religious extremism and boost employment. At a press conference in Beijing, officials from Xinjiang called the centres "effective." "After these past one to two years of effort, most of the people at the training centres who return to society -- you could say more than 90 per cent -- have found work that they like and find suitable," Shohrat Zakir, chairman of Xinjiang, told reporters. He also said the centres aim to teach inmates three topics, Chinese law, Mandarin, and "the true meaning of religion." "We let them know... how to carry out normal religious activities, under the protection of the law," he said. But former inmates have said following Islamic traditions, such as wearing long beards and face veils, was the reason they were incarcerated in the first place. A Kazakh businessman, who spent nearly two months in a camp, told AFP the facilities only had one goal, to strip detainees of their religious belief. Inmates were forced to sing patriotic songs every morning and eat pork, a violation of Islam's religious restrictions, he said. Re-education camp detainees have also reportedly been used as forced labour at Chinese factories. In December, an article in the New York Times showed that a United States sportswear company had received a container of T-shirts from Hetian Taida, a company in Xinjiang shown on state television to have been using workers from re-education camps holding Muslim minorities. Badger Sportswear has since said it would stop sourcing clothing from Hetian Taida in Xinjiang. "Uighurs are being marginalised, and their culture and identity is being eliminated," said Dilxat Raxit, a spokesman at the exiled World Uyghur Congress, in a statement. "Taking measures to force people to give up their faith is a strategic policy that the Chinese government is carrying out locally," he added. 'Flaunted' success Chinese officials spent most of the press briefing praising the economic successes of Xinjiang over the past 70 years, including increases in the gross domestic product, disposable income, and improved infrastructure. However, these improvements have required an enormous amount of financial support from the central government. From 2012 to 2018, Beijing provided 1.61 trillion yuan ($23 billion) in subsidies to the Xinjiang government, said Zakir. Last year, the central government covered a whopping 60 per cent of the region's budgetary expenditures. Other regions in China have also invested heavily in Xinjiang. According to Zakir, by the end of 2018, 19 provinces and cities in China allocated 103.5 billion yuan ($15 billion) in aid to the region. "China flaunts economic success to cover up the discrimination, assimilation, and extreme persecution of Uighurs of being implemented locally," said Raxit from the World Uyghur Congress.

China says 'most' inmates in Xinjiang camps are out

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-turning-blind-eye-to-human-rights-abuses-in-xinjiang-237376">far northwestern region of Xinjiang</a> is an "inseparable" part of China despite efforts by extremists to distort history and facts in a bid to split the country, the Chinese government said in a document published late on Sunday.

The government said in a white paper published by the State Council Information Office it was wrong to suggest members of Xinjiang's minority Uighur Muslim community were descended from Turks, noting they had become the political tool of pan-Turkic and pan-Islamic groups.

The paper said, "hostile forces in and outside China, especially separatists, religious extremists and terrorists, have tried to split China and break it apart by distorting history and facts".

Beijing has been accused of persecuting Uighurs, with at least a million believed to be detained in what China insists are vocational centres aimed at reducing the spread of Islamist extremism.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mike-pompeo-expresses-disappointment-over-turkeys-acquisition-of-russian-s-400-missiles-237351">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo</a> branded China's treatment of its Uighur minority as the "stain of the century" on Thursday.

The government white paper said Xinjiang has been a part of China since the Han dynasty in the third century and its people and ethnic cultures were formed by a long process of migration and integration.

It also said Islam was not the indigenous or sole belief system of the Uighurs but was imposed by the expansion of the Arab Empire, and that "theocracy" and "religious supremacism" were a betrayal that needed to be opposed.

"Hostile foreign forces and separatist, religious extremist and terrorist forces that have colluded to distort history ... will be cast aside by history and the people," it said.

The far northwestern region of Xinjiang is an "inseparable" part of China despite efforts by extremists to distort history and facts in a bid to split the country, the Chinese government said in a document published late on Sunday.

The far northwestern region of Xinjiang is an "inseparable" part of China despite efforts by extremists to distort history and facts in a bid to split the country, the Chinese government said in a document published late on Sunday. The government said in a white paper published by the State Council Information Office it was wrong to suggest members of Xinjiang's minority Uighur Muslim community were descended from Turks, noting they had become the political tool of pan-Turkic and pan-Islamic groups. The paper said, "hostile forces in and outside China, especially separatists, religious extremists and terrorists, have tried to split China and break it apart by distorting history and facts". Beijing has been accused of persecuting Uighurs, with at least a million believed to be detained in what China insists are vocational centres aimed at reducing the spread of Islamist extremism. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo branded China's treatment of its Uighur minority as the "stain of the century" on Thursday. The government white paper said Xinjiang has been a part of China since the Han dynasty in the third century and its people and ethnic cultures were formed by a long process of migration and integration. It also said Islam was not the indigenous or sole belief system of the Uighurs but was imposed by the expansion of the Arab Empire, and that "theocracy" and "religious supremacism" were a betrayal that needed to be opposed. "Hostile foreign forces and separatist, religious extremist and terrorist forces that have colluded to distort history ... will be cast aside by history and the people," it said.

China says Xinjiang 'inseparable' despite attempts to distort history

While the United Nations has said that at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in China, experts believe that neighbouring Pakistan has turned a blind eye to the human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

China's close ally, Pakistan, is a Muslim country and one of the most powerful members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

However, it has covered up the massive human rights abuses against followers of Islam in Xinjiang.

"I see the main reason...as the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Obviously, raising the question of the Uighurs domestically as well as internationally is perceived as provoking Beijing, which would have potential negative ramifications for the CPEC implementation," said Dr Siegfried O Wolf, the Director of Research at Brussels-based South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF).

"In this context, we should also expect that the Pakistani leadership does not want to raise the question in order to not stir further anti-Chinese sentiments in the country which are already increasing. This would further deteriorate the security situation of Chinese projects, workers, and companies," he added.

Wolf said that another factor is that Islamabad, especially its all-powerful military, wants to appease Beijing by ignoring the mistreatment of the Muslim communities in China.

This helps in shielding the deepening Pakistan-China bilateral ties in security and military-related matters, which find its most visible expression in the delivery of Chinese weapons and military hardware.

Recently, nearly two dozen nations at the UN Human Rights Council wrote a letter, urging China to halt its mass detention.US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, also called China's treatment of Uighurs the "stain of the century".

The State Department estimates that between 8,00,000 to two million Turkic Muslims, including Uighurs, are being held in internment camps that Beijing has called "re-education" centres.

The issue of Uighurs in Xinjiang is expected to be raised during Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's meeting with the US Secretary of State on Tuesday. Khan will be in the US from July 21 to July 23 on an official visit, during which he is also scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump.

Experts believe that Pakistan is hand-in-glove with China to cover up the massive human rights violations in Xinjiang.

Dusan Vejinovic, a Senior Research Analyst at the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) said, "The same way that China appears to maintain double standards on combating terrorism, manifested through the years-long postponement of the designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, while simultaneously detaining 'preventatively'&nbsp;Muslims on alleged suspicions of Islamist radicalisation and terrorism, Pakistan follows the model of its patron, by playing a double standard in dealing with issues related to Muslims".

"Pakistan will sell its proxy war in Jammu &amp; Kashmir as Jihad for their Muslim brothers, but totally deny any knowledge of the treatment of Uighurs by China," he added.

Wolf also said that Pakistan will attempt to continue its old tactic of playing a double game during Khan's visit to Washington.

"Until now Pakistan was known for supporting the 'US war against terror'&nbsp;but at the same time, it also supported the Taliban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan which were fighting against the US troops, their allies and the Afghan government.

However, this version of the double game reduces significance among Pakistan security mindset with the reduction of the US troops in the country, the growing strength of the Taliban and the deepening of relations wherein China is substituting US financial aid," Wolf added.

"However, Pakistan's military knows very well that Chinese military hardware is not a match until now for US technology and capabilities in the areas of defence production. Furthermore, the top brass of the Pakistani army is also well aware that Chinese support is strictly limited when it comes to an armed confrontation with its arch-rival India. As such, the military looks for a diversification of its supplies for military equipment," he further said.

Wolf believes that Islamabad's stand on Iran, as well as the trilateral relations shared by Iran-Pakistan-China, could be used as a bargaining chip in talks with the US.

However, it is unlikely that the Uighurs will play any significant, severe role in the latest and upcoming conversations between Imran Khan and the US administration, besides some "lip service".&nbsp;

While the United Nations has said that at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in China, experts believe that neighbouring Pakistan has turned a blind eye to the human rights abuses in Xinjiang.

While the United Nations has said that at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in China, experts believe that neighbouring Pakistan has turned a blind eye to the human rights abuses in Xinjiang. China's close ally, Pakistan, is a Muslim country and one of the most powerful members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). However, it has covered up the massive human rights abuses against followers of Islam in Xinjiang. "I see the main reason...as the implementation of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Obviously, raising the question of the Uighurs domestically as well as internationally is perceived as provoking Beijing, which would have potential negative ramifications for the CPEC implementation," said Dr Siegfried O Wolf, the Director of Research at Brussels-based South Asia Democratic Forum (SADF). "In this context, we should also expect that the Pakistani leadership does not want to raise the question in order to not stir further anti-Chinese sentiments in the country which are already increasing. This would further deteriorate the security situation of Chinese projects, workers, and companies," he added. Wolf said that another factor is that Islamabad, especially its all-powerful military, wants to appease Beijing by ignoring the mistreatment of the Muslim communities in China. This helps in shielding the deepening Pakistan-China bilateral ties in security and military-related matters, which find its most visible expression in the delivery of Chinese weapons and military hardware. Recently, nearly two dozen nations at the UN Human Rights Council wrote a letter, urging China to halt its mass detention.US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, also called China's treatment of Uighurs the "stain of the century". The State Department estimates that between 8,00,000 to two million Turkic Muslims, including Uighurs, are being held in internment camps that Beijing has called "re-education" centres. The issue of Uighurs in Xinjiang is expected to be raised during Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's meeting with the US Secretary of State on Tuesday. Khan will be in the US from July 21 to July 23 on an official visit, during which he is also scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump. Experts believe that Pakistan is hand-in-glove with China to cover up the massive human rights violations in Xinjiang. Dusan Vejinovic, a Senior Research Analyst at the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) said, "The same way that China appears to maintain double standards on combating terrorism, manifested through the years-long postponement of the designation of Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, while simultaneously detaining 'preventatively' Muslims on alleged suspicions of Islamist radicalisation and terrorism, Pakistan follows the model of its patron, by playing a double standard in dealing with issues related to Muslims". "Pakistan will sell its proxy war in Jammu & Kashmir as Jihad for their Muslim brothers, but totally deny any knowledge of the treatment of Uighurs by China," he added. Wolf also said that Pakistan will attempt to continue its old tactic of playing a double game during Khan's visit to Washington. "Until now Pakistan was known for supporting the 'US war against terror' but at the same time, it also supported the Taliban and other insurgent groups in Afghanistan which were fighting against the US troops, their allies and the Afghan government. However, this version of the double game reduces significance among Pakistan security mindset with the reduction of the US troops in the country, the growing strength of the Taliban and the deepening of relations wherein China is substituting US financial aid," Wolf added. "However, Pakistan's military knows very well that Chinese military hardware is not a match until now for US technology and capabilities in the areas of defence production. Furthermore, the top brass of the Pakistani army is also well aware that Chinese support is strictly limited when it comes to an armed confrontation with its arch-rival India. As such, the military looks for a diversification of its supplies for military equipment," he further said. Wolf believes that Islamabad's stand on Iran, as well as the trilateral relations shared by Iran-Pakistan-China, could be used as a bargaining chip in talks with the US. However, it is unlikely that the Uighurs will play any significant, severe role in the latest and upcoming conversations between Imran Khan and the US administration, besides some "lip service".

Pakistan turning blind eye to human rights abuses in Xinjiang

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday called China's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority the "stain of the century" and accused Beijing of pressuring countries not to attend a U.S.-hosted conference on religious freedom.

Pompeo calls China's treatment of Uighurs 'stain of the century'

From the expansive dunes of the Taklamakan Desert to the snow-capped peaks of Tianshan, Chinese authorities are selling <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/for-turkey-xinjiang-visit-amounts-to-a-risky-gamble-234168">troubled Xinjiang</a> as a tourist idyll, welcoming travellers even as they send locals to internment camps.

The government has rounded up an estimated one <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/37-countries-including-pakistan-and-saudi-arabia-defend-china-in-un-letter-over-xinjiang-235466">million Uighurs</a> and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minorities into re-education camps in the tightly-controlled region in China's northwest, but it has also created a parallel universe for visitors, who are only shown a carefully curated version of traditional customs and culture.

In the Old Town of Kashgar, an ancient Silk Road city, smiling food vendors serve mouthwatering lamb skewers, while children play in the streets.

"It didn't look to me like -- unless you were picked up and put in a camp -- that these Uighur communities seemed to be living in some kind of fear," said William Lee, who has taught at universities in China for 10 years and visited the region in June.

"That's just my impression," he added.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-says-reached-broad-consensus-with-un-after-xinjiang-visit-227501">Xinjiang, a fraught region</a> where flare-ups of interethnic violence have led to unprecedented levels of surveillance, is one of the fastest-growing areas for tourism in China.

Armed police and frequent checkpoints have not dampened the flow of vacationers visiting the region, which in 2018 saw a 40 per cent increase year-on-year of visits -- mainly from domestic tourists -- outstripping the national average by 25 per cent, according to official figures.

The business has grown steadily over the years mainly because "Xinjiang is very stable", explained Wu Yali, who runs a travel agency in the region.&nbsp;

Though tourists are not used to the high level of security at first, "they adapt after a few days," she told AFP.

But travellers are barred from witnessing the most controversial part of Xinjiang's security apparatus: the network of internment camps spread across the vast region.

Many of these facilities are outside main tourist hubs and are fenced off with razor-wired walls.

On a six-day trip to the region last month, AFP reporters encountered roadblocks and were turned away by security forces upon nearing some camps.

'Regime of terror'

China describes the facilities as "vocational education centres" where Turkic-speaking "trainees" learn Mandarin and job skills.

"The violence that is being inflicted on the bodies of Uighur and other Muslim people...has been rendered invisible," said Rachel Harris, who studies Uighur culture and music at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London.

"For a tourist who goes and travels around a designated route, it all looks nice," she told AFP. "It's all very quiet and that's because there's a regime of terror being imposed on the local people."

According to Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, the regional government offered travellers subsidies worth 500 yuan ($73) each in 2014, after tourism plunged following a deadly knife attack blamed on Xinjiang separatists in southwestern China.

By 2020, Xinjiang is aiming to hit a total of 300 million visits by tourists and rake in 600 billion yuan ($87 billion), according to the region's tourism bureau.

Tourism packages to Xinjiang often feature the region's rich array of natural beauty, from the azure waters of Karakul lake to Tianshan -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Many also offer "ethnic" experiences, often in the form of dance performances. Some tour operators even include visits to Uighur homes.

Even as Chinese authorities seek to contain the region's Muslim minorities, they are monetising ethnic culture -- albeit a simplified version of it, experts say.

"Uighur culture is being boiled down to just song and dance," said Josh Summers, an American who lived in Xinjiang for more than a decade and wrote travel guides for the region.

"What makes me sad is what ends up happening is there are only very specific parts of Uighur culture that get maintained because of the tourism," he said, citing the neglect of Uighur paper-making traditions and desert shrines.

'Discover Xinjiang'

Beijing's security clampdown has also squeezed Yengisar city's artisanal knife trade, said Summers.

"Ever since the management of Xinjiang became stricter, the impact on Yengisar's small knives has been very large -- now there are very few shops selling small knives," agreed Li Qingwen, who runs a tourism business in Xinjiang.

The government wants Uighurs to "show how they excel in singing and dancing, instead of living under religious rules and restrictions," he told AFP.

But while ethnic song and dance is showcased to tourists, Uighurs are often restricted in how they express their own culture.

Large, spontaneous gatherings of Uighurs -- even if they involve dancing -- are less frequent because of tightened security, said Summers.&nbsp;

Night markets too are more controlled. In Hotan, what used to be an outdoor night market is now inside a white tent, where red lanterns hang from the ceiling and uniform food stalls adorned with Chinese flags sell lamb skewers, but also sushi and seafood. &nbsp;

Over the past few years, cultural leaders in the Uighur community have disappeared, raising fears they have been detained.

In February, Turkey's foreign ministry claimed that prominent Uighur musician and poet Abdurehim Heyit had died in a Chinese prison -- prompting China to release a "proof-of-life" video of an inmate who identified himself as Heyit.

Famous Uighur comedian Adil Mijit is also missing, according to social media posts by his son-in-law Arslan Hidayat.

And though tourists are buffered from the ugliest parts of Xinjiang's security crackdown, it is not difficult to bump against the region's many red lines.

A traveller from Southeast Asia, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, described the barriers he faced when trying to pray at a mosque.

Many places of worship were closed in Kashgar, he said, unlike mosques in other Chinese cities.

At Idkah Mosque, Kashgar's central mosque, the tourist was told he couldn't pray inside -- and that he had to buy a ticket to enter.

"They want to separate travellers from locals," he said, adding that his visit to Xinjiang confirmed what he had read about re-education camps.

He added: "There's a lot more of Xinjiang that I want to discover. But I really hope that Xinjiang will become the old Xinjiang."

From the expansive dunes of the Taklamakan Desert to the snow-capped peaks of Tianshan, Chinese authorities are selling troubled Xinjiang as a tourist idyll, welcoming travellers even as they send locals to internment camps.

From the expansive dunes of the Taklamakan Desert to the snow-capped peaks of Tianshan, Chinese authorities are selling troubled Xinjiang as a tourist idyll, welcoming travellers even as they send locals to internment camps. The government has rounded up an estimated one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim Turkic-speaking minorities into re-education camps in the tightly-controlled region in China's northwest, but it has also created a parallel universe for visitors, who are only shown a carefully curated version of traditional customs and culture. In the Old Town of Kashgar, an ancient Silk Road city, smiling food vendors serve mouthwatering lamb skewers, while children play in the streets. "It didn't look to me like -- unless you were picked up and put in a camp -- that these Uighur communities seemed to be living in some kind of fear," said William Lee, who has taught at universities in China for 10 years and visited the region in June. "That's just my impression," he added. Xinjiang, a fraught region where flare-ups of interethnic violence have led to unprecedented levels of surveillance, is one of the fastest-growing areas for tourism in China. Armed police and frequent checkpoints have not dampened the flow of vacationers visiting the region, which in 2018 saw a 40 per cent increase year-on-year of visits -- mainly from domestic tourists -- outstripping the national average by 25 per cent, according to official figures. The business has grown steadily over the years mainly because "Xinjiang is very stable", explained Wu Yali, who runs a travel agency in the region. Though tourists are not used to the high level of security at first, "they adapt after a few days," she told AFP. But travellers are barred from witnessing the most controversial part of Xinjiang's security apparatus: the network of internment camps spread across the vast region. Many of these facilities are outside main tourist hubs and are fenced off with razor-wired walls. On a six-day trip to the region last month, AFP reporters encountered roadblocks and were turned away by security forces upon nearing some camps. 'Regime of terror' China describes the facilities as "vocational education centres" where Turkic-speaking "trainees" learn Mandarin and job skills. "The violence that is being inflicted on the bodies of Uighur and other Muslim people...has been rendered invisible," said Rachel Harris, who studies Uighur culture and music at the School of Oriental and African Studies University of London. "For a tourist who goes and travels around a designated route, it all looks nice," she told AFP. "It's all very quiet and that's because there's a regime of terror being imposed on the local people." According to Communist Party mouthpiece People's Daily, the regional government offered travellers subsidies worth 500 yuan ($73) each in 2014, after tourism plunged following a deadly knife attack blamed on Xinjiang separatists in southwestern China. By 2020, Xinjiang is aiming to hit a total of 300 million visits by tourists and rake in 600 billion yuan ($87 billion), according to the region's tourism bureau. Tourism packages to Xinjiang often feature the region's rich array of natural beauty, from the azure waters of Karakul lake to Tianshan -- a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many also offer "ethnic" experiences, often in the form of dance performances. Some tour operators even include visits to Uighur homes. Even as Chinese authorities seek to contain the region's Muslim minorities, they are monetising ethnic culture -- albeit a simplified version of it, experts say. "Uighur culture is being boiled down to just song and dance," said Josh Summers, an American who lived in Xinjiang for more than a decade and wrote travel guides for the region. "What makes me sad is what ends up happening is there are only very specific parts of Uighur culture that get maintained because of the tourism," he said, citing the neglect of Uighur paper-making traditions and desert shrines. 'Discover Xinjiang' Beijing's security clampdown has also squeezed Yengisar city's artisanal knife trade, said Summers. "Ever since the management of Xinjiang became stricter, the impact on Yengisar's small knives has been very large -- now there are very few shops selling small knives," agreed Li Qingwen, who runs a tourism business in Xinjiang. The government wants Uighurs to "show how they excel in singing and dancing, instead of living under religious rules and restrictions," he told AFP. But while ethnic song and dance is showcased to tourists, Uighurs are often restricted in how they express their own culture. Large, spontaneous gatherings of Uighurs -- even if they involve dancing -- are less frequent because of tightened security, said Summers. Night markets too are more controlled. In Hotan, what used to be an outdoor night market is now inside a white tent, where red lanterns hang from the ceiling and uniform food stalls adorned with Chinese flags sell lamb skewers, but also sushi and seafood. Over the past few years, cultural leaders in the Uighur community have disappeared, raising fears they have been detained. In February, Turkey's foreign ministry claimed that prominent Uighur musician and poet Abdurehim Heyit had died in a Chinese prison -- prompting China to release a "proof-of-life" video of an inmate who identified himself as Heyit. Famous Uighur comedian Adil Mijit is also missing, according to social media posts by his son-in-law Arslan Hidayat. And though tourists are buffered from the ugliest parts of Xinjiang's security crackdown, it is not difficult to bump against the region's many red lines. A traveller from Southeast Asia, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, described the barriers he faced when trying to pray at a mosque. Many places of worship were closed in Kashgar, he said, unlike mosques in other Chinese cities. At Idkah Mosque, Kashgar's central mosque, the tourist was told he couldn't pray inside -- and that he had to buy a ticket to enter. "They want to separate travellers from locals," he said, adding that his visit to Xinjiang confirmed what he had read about re-education camps. He added: "There's a lot more of Xinjiang that I want to discover. But I really hope that Xinjiang will become the old Xinjiang."

As China locks up Muslims in Xinjiang, it opens its doors to tourists

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