By Aqil Abdullah
Sept 22, 2020
On Sept 14, the European Union asked for access for independent observers into Xinjiang to “truly understand” the treatment of Uyghurs in camps and China has agreed to “make arrangements”, according to Barron’s news.
Although this step from the EU was long overdue, it is still good news for Uyghurs who have been waiting for it from the EU for a long time. Uyghurs highly appreciate that the world is paying attention to the voice of Uyghurs. They expressed their opinions and reactions to the news posted on the Facebook account of Tahir Imin Uyghurian, founder of Uyghur Times, and put forward their hopes, recommendations, and concerns about this issue. It means that they hold out great hope for the independent observers of the EU and want the team to send their hopes and concerns to their homeland, East Turkistan. As being relatives of Uyghurs in East Turkistan who are facing genocide by the Chinese regime, the Uyghurs abroad hope that it would be the beginning of a new policy of taking Uyghurs’ life seriously. The followings are some recommendations of the Uyghur diaspora for the independent observers.
First of all, Uyghurs suggest that the leaders of Uyghur organizations and activists should meet with the investigation group and give them the list of detained scholars, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, authors, public figures, and other elites to demand their whereabouts. It would be better if some of the Uighur activists, camp survivors, and other chosen Uyghurs abroad who lost contact with their family members could go with the team. Uyghurs strongly hope that the EU calls on China to allow Uyghurs abroad to contact their relatives in East Turkistan; demand to visit people who have been sentenced for prison terms for a variety of absurd excuses, visit people who have been forcefully transferred to inland China as slave labors or moved to prisons there. Meanwhile, the Uyghurs also hope that the independent observers demand that China stop ethnic genocide, stop vanishing Uyghur language and culture; close the camps and release the detained Uyghurs instead of sending them to prisons; release the people who have been sentenced for nothing; stop forced sterilization of Uyghur women; give religious freedom to the Uyghurs in East Turkistan and stop demolishing the mosques and burning Quran and Islamic books, stop forcing Muslims to eat food contrary to their Islamic values, to drink alcohol, and to marry to Han Chinese; drive out the Chinese men from Uyghurs’ homes; allow people perform normal religious practices; let the Uyghurs live a normal life, etc. Some of them also suggest that the EU open a consulate in East Turkistan to investigate the situation of Uyghurs until the crimes of China end. However, some Uyghurs abroad are not very optimistic that this action will yield any real fruits and they have deep concerns that the independent observers who may not know the true face of the Chinese government would be deceived by the fake stage show in which “happy” Uyghurs are dancing and singing under the force of Chinese local government and come back without being able to investigate the real situations of the Uyghurs. What is worse is that the Uyghur people in East Turkistan have already been brainwashed by China into thinking the CCP is right and good and are threatened to say nothing but well-prepared answers when they are asked. Nevertheless, most Uyghurs abroad still believe that the real situation in East Turkistan would be disclosed by chance that there would be some brave Uyghurs who speak out the true story of Uyghurs in East Turkistan.
Uyghurs abroad are hopeful that the visit is not an empty promise. They are looking forward to concrete actions from the independent observers and are ready to cooperate with the EU in taking effective measures against China’s inhuman tyranny.
