Situation with Uighur Muslims

Contained within China, there is a group called the Uighurs, who are comprised of mostly Muslim ethnic groups. While the Han Chinese ethnic group makes up 90% of the country's population, the Uighurs are a minority. This minority has been controlled by the Chinese since 1949. There are many accounts of mild injustice that some of the Uighurs experienced in certain areas of China, such as being refused a room in a hotel. However, in 2017, there was a more extreme discriminatory crisis going on in the region of Xinjiang, which held about 10 million Uighurs. Previously in history, Xinjiang attracted the Han Chinese for their resources and the Uighurs since then have dealt with their unfair treatment. Additionally, the Chinese government began to focus more on Xinjiang due to its large economy-boosting project: Belt and Road Initiative. The Chinese government began using large-scale violence and pressure toward the Uighurs in 2017, and from this point conditions gradually worsened for Uighurs in China.

Extreme events in 2017 occured when a politician named Chen Quanguo became the party secretary of Xinjiang, as he already possessed a history of enforcing policies like the ones enforced in Xinjiang. Hundreds of thousands to potentially millions of Uighurs started to be forced into concentration and re-education camps, or even taken to prison. Originally an open society, Xinjiang was now being subject to extreme levels of discrimination and violence. These camps have been reported to have unethical conditions for living as well as violence toward the Uighurs forced there. They were also said to have begun even earlier, in 2014 when terrorist attacks were being blamed on the Uighurs.

In these camps, they are often brainwashed and are educated with communist propaganda. They are forced to praise the president, Xi Jinping, and accept Chinese beliefs. The government defends the camps as a way of decreasing terrorism and extremism while also teaching a religious group important skills. The Chinese government is attempting to convince the world they’re helping the Uighurs.

They have increased surveillance on the Uighurs after Quango’s rise to a position of power in 2016 and they are taking away religious freedom. This is shown by a method of China’s supposed de-extremification of the Uighurs, where certain Muslim names are banned for babies and their religious clothing or men’s beards are prohibited. Children had to be sent to government schools and the Uighurs had to watch the state television. Muslim’s also tended to not drink or smoke because of religious beliefs, so the government attempted to force drinking and smoking on the Uighurs. Additionally, surveillance has been increased as phones are scanned and identification cards and face recognition is used on the Uighurs. They’re permitted from leaving the country as well. The Chinese government is going against the Uighurs freedoms and cultural traditions, as well as religious beliefs in attempt of what they consider to be de-extremification.

China’s government has constantly been trying to pass off these actions are acceptable and lawful or even avoiding and hiding it, as they had originally told United Nations that these camps were for minor criminals. It’s hard to know what is truly occurring in China on account of the misinformation and propaganda, but leaked and first-hand information has been increasingly demonstrating the human rights violations and discrimination of the whole situation.

One account of the impacts of this situation is regarding the restaurant called Karim’s, a beloved environment and community containing Uighur and Asian cuisine. Due to discrimination, soon enough, most of the staff had been sent to one of the Chinese camps or arrested, leading to the sense of community contained here to fade. The events in China are slowly attempting to diminish Muslim tradition and uprooting the lives and communities of the Uighurs. From living in fear to torture, this dangerous and oppressive situation continues along while China’s government continues to defend their actions toward the Uighurs.

A solution to the situation of the Uighur Muslims is needed as soon as possible. People are suffering and the world isn’t aware and open to helping, and this needs to change. The question is: what could possibly make things better?