What’s just happened?
The Holocaust is no secret to the world. Everyone, at some point, has read, heard, or watched examples the horrific treatment against the European Jewish community. To this day, there are survivors who are still recounting personal accounts of the horrific treatment they endured. The events that occurred have been labelled as ‘the worst crime in human history’, so why are they being replicated in 2020? [[1]]
What does this mean?
In 2018, there were speculations that the Chinese government had detained thousands if not millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other Muslim groups. It was also speculated that there were some Christians and small minority citizens who were also detained and placed in ‘Internment Camps’.
Historically speaking, these camps were created centuries ago to hold prisoners of war, political opponents and enemy aliens. A more commonly used word for them are Concentration Camps. People were held here without trial and against their will, facing horrific abuse, torture, and often killed.
Satellite footage shows that China has roughly 380 of these camps. [[2]][[3]] Most have high walls, barbed wire surrounding the outskirts, and are heavily guarded. Chinese authorities have claimed that these camps are actually ‘re-education’ sites used to eradicate extremist views and implement a civil mindset, so the camp’s ‘students’ can ‘graduate’ and enter society as better civil servants. [[4]] However, journalists have proven otherwise.
In September 2020, the BBC documented one of the camps with a crew who were authorised to enter the facility and witness what was actually taking place behind closed doors. The recording taken by the BBC showed ‘students’ singing, dancing and enjoying their studies. However, the reporters were quick to claim that the display put on by the Chinese Government was nothing but a façade. The reality of the matter is that these ‘students’ were most likely forced into putting on this display for the cameras. If they failed to do so the punishment was unknown. [[5]]
In 2019, the UK had called for the United Nations to access the detention camps in Xinjiang. In Brussels, there was also a discussion on how to deal with the human rights violations occurring in these concentration camps. So, on July 22nd the UN issued an unusual joint statement telling China to end the detention camps and any Human Rights Violations. [[6]]
However, China denied all accusations and instead claimed that they were soley rehabilitating individuals and implementing preventative measures against criminal activity prior to it occurring. Arguably, this poses the question how they would know who was going to commit a crime. It can be insinuated that the Chinese government targeted Muslims and minorities soley based on religion without actual evidence illustrating that they are a threat.
The Chinese authorities have now claimed that they have closed most of their ‘re-education’ camp sites and have continued to deny any human rights violations. [[7]] Nonetheless, there has been evidence from those who have escaped, families of detainees, and even live footage of inside the camp illustrating the false claims made by the authorities. [[8]]
Excluding Turkey, who have welcomed the refugees to their land and provided them with aid, other Muslim countries including Iran and Egypt have remained silent about the concentration camps. Business Insider has suggested that the reason for such ‘deafening silence’ is because Muslim majority countries are afraid to jeopardize their economic relationship with the world’s second largest economy. [[9]]
Most recently, China has provided countries such as Pakistan with huge loans which they are already struggling to repay and have also aided such countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without this aid countries such as Pakistan could struggle immensely. Therefore, it is speculated that the reason why so many countries are remaining quiet and not pushing for change is due to their fear of finding themselves on the bad side of China. [[10]]
Pakistan is not the only country guilty of this. Egypt detained and deported dozens of Uighur students, held them without charge and denied them access of lawyers and their families. [[11]][[12]] Saudi Arabia, one of the worlds biggest powerhouses, even went as far as to defend the Chinese concentration camps and argued that it was their right. [[13]]
Overall, any action taken place has been quite minimal. Muslim majority countries have remained silent on all matters and countries such as the US have had their voice tainted due to other matters. [[14]] This holocaust duplicate is happening, and everyone is turning a blind eye. Did no one learn?
Such blatant ignorance and lack of attention over this issue means that the Chinese Authorities behind this continue to go unpunished and people continue to go missing, remain imprisoned, tortured, and potentially killed.
Muslim communities and groups such as the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) have been pushing for change. A letter sent by the MCB to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, urged him that the country must take action in order to help before a whole ethnic group is wiped out. [[15]] Currently, there has been no explicit response in regard to the letter or matter as a whole.
Written by Ammarah Kabir
Spread the story:
Use your voice and social media platforms to keep this message alive and DO NOT stop. Do not let this just be a ‘phase’ in history. Keep sharing it using the hashtags as #SaveTheUyghurMuslims #HelpTheUyghur and remind your friends and family about the devastating issues.
Petition:
Depending on what country you are living in, there are several petitions which can be signed. If there is not a petition in your area, create one.
Change.org have petitions demanding for change and to ban the 2022 Winter Olympic Games from being hosted in Beijing.
Although there are a few links here, check out those in your jurisdiction or better yet, create your own if there is not one already in place. Make your voice heard!
https://www.stopgenocide.org/close-the-camps/
https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-petition-to-free-to-muslims-in-chinese-concentration-camps
Donate:
As China is incredibly strict with the visitation of the camps and who is allowed to enter the country, charity organisations such as OneNation have set up base in Istanbul, Turkey, where refugees have fled to. A team of individuals are delivering food parcels and necessities for Uyghurs who have managed to escape and seek refuge.
https://onenationuk.org/projects/help-the-uyghur
References:
[1] Stephen McGrann, The Holocaust: The Worst Crime in Human History (2015)
[2] Emma Graham-Harrison, 'China Has Built 380 Internment Camps in Xinjiang, Study Finds' (theguardian.com, 2020) <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/24/china-has-built-380-internment-camps-in-xinjiang-study-finds> accessed 6 November 2020.
[3] Chris Buckley and Austin Ramzy, 'Night Images Reveal Many New Detention Sites in China’s Xinjiang Region' (Nytimes.com, 2020) <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/24/world/asia/china-muslims-xinjiang-detention.html> accessed 6 November 2020.
[4] 'Xinjiang: Large Numbers of New Detention Camps Uncovered in Report' (bbc.co.uk, 2020) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-54277430#> accessed 6 November 2020.
[5] ibid
[6] Juliette Garside and Emma Graham-Harrison, 'UK Calls For UN Access To Chinese Detention Camps In Xinjiang' (theguardian.com, 2019) <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/25/uk-calls-for-un-access-chinese-detention-camps-xinjiang> accessed 6 November 2020.
[7] John Sudworth, 'China Uighurs: A Model's Video Gives A Rare Glimpse Inside Internment' (bbc.co.uk, 2020) <https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-53650246> accessed 6 November 2020.
[8] Ibid
[9] Alexandra Ma, 'Why the Muslim World Isn't Saying Anything About China’s Repression And 'Cultural Cleansing' Of Its Downtrodden Muslim Minority' (Business Insider, 2018) <https://www.businessinsider.com/why-muslim-countries-arent-criticizing-china-uighur-repression-2018-8?r=US&IR=T> accessed 6 November 2020.
[10] Ibid
[11] Nour Youssef, 'Egyptian Police Detain Uighurs And Deport Them to China (Published 2017)' (The New York Times, 2017) <https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/06/world/asia/egypt-muslims-uighurs-deportations-xinjiang-china.html> accessed 6 November 2020.
[12] Alexandra Ma, 'Why the Muslim World Isn't Saying Anything About China’s Repression And 'Cultural Cleansing' Of Its Downtrodden Muslim Minority' (Business Insider, 2018) <https://www.businessinsider.com/why-muslim-countries-arent-criticizing-china-uighur-repression-2018-8?r=US&IR=T> accessed 6 November 2020.
[13] James Hitchings-Hales, 'Here's Why Britain Is Being Urged to Take in China's Uighur Muslims As Refugees' (Global Citizen, 2019) <https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/uk-britain-china-uighur-muslims-camps-xinjiang-/> accessed 6 November 2020.
[14] Alex Ward, '5 Real Steps the US Could Take to Help Uighurs In China' (Vox, 2020) <https://www.vox.com/2020/7/28/21337081/china-uighurs-muslims-trump-forced-labor-help> accessed 6 November 2020.
[15] Ahmet Gurhan Kartal, 'UK Muslim Group Urges Gov't to Help Chinese Uighurs' (AA, 2020) <https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-muslim-group-urges-govt-to-help-chinese-uighurs/1917634> accessed 6 November 2020.
Further Reading;
- 5 real steps the US could take to help Uighurs in China by Alex Ward; https://www.vox.com/2020/7/28/21337081/china-uighurs-muslims-trump-forced-labor-help
- UK Muslim group urges gov’t to help Chinese Uighurs by Ahmet Gurhan Kartal; https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/uk-muslim-group-urges-govt-to-help-chinese-uighurs/1917634
- Why the Muslim world isn’t saying anything about China’s repression and ‘cultural cleansing’ of its downtrodden Muslim minority by Alexandra Ma; https://www.businessinsider.com/why-muslim-countries-arent-criticizing-china-uighur-repression-2018-8?r=US&IR=T
Disclaimer: This article (and any information accessed through links in this article) is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.