Accessibility links

Breaking News

Uyghur News Recap: May 22-June 3, 2022  


FILE - Uyghur Turks who said they hadn't heard any news about relatives in Eastern Turkistan attend a protest near the Chinese Embassy, in Ankara, May 24, 2022. The protesters demanded that Turkey take a stronger stance against human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region.
FILE - Uyghur Turks who said they hadn't heard any news about relatives in Eastern Turkistan attend a protest near the Chinese Embassy, in Ankara, May 24, 2022. The protesters demanded that Turkey take a stronger stance against human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region.

Here's a summary of this week's Uyghur-related news around the world:

Freed Uyghur goldsmith dies

RFA reported that a 43-year-old Uyghur goldsmith in Xinjiang died 20 days after being released from prison and that his son collapsed and died during the funeral.

Xinjiang goldsmith’s death after release from prison is followed by son’s demise

Leaked Xinjiang police documents shed light on reeducation camps

On May 24, the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation released a detailed report on what it said were leaked documents from Xinjiang police networks. The leaked documents included more than 2,800 photographs of Uyghur detainees, internal speeches of senior Chinese officials, and other details of China’s internment camps in Xinjiang.

Uyghur athletic trainer's detention confirmed

A Uyghur national-level referee at a university in Xinjiang was arrested five years ago for allegedly organizing and leading a Uyghur cultural event and “encouraging other students who possess ethnic separatist ideas.”

Uyghur sports trainer confirmed arrested by Chinese authorities in Xinjiang

US-based Uyghurs warned ahead of UN official's visit to Xinjiang

China’s state security officials told Uyghurs in Xinjiang to warn their relatives in the U.S. to keep silent before the top U.N. rights official visited the region.

China warns overseas Uyghurs to keep quiet during UN visit

Woman sentenced for watching Turkish movies

Chinese authorities detained the daughter of a Uyghur police officer in Kashgar and sentenced her to 10 years in prison without trial, according to the officer.

Uyghur cop’s daughter serving 10 years in Xinjiang prison for viewing Turkish films

2 mosques opened during Bachelet’s visit

According to local Chinese government officials RFA interviewed, Chinese authorities opened two mosques for prayer during U.N. rights chief Michelle Bachelet’s visit to Xinjiang, while keeping other mosques closed.

Officials open mosques in Xinjiang cities visited by UN human rights chief

Delay in UN Uyghur report alarms US

Rashad Hussain, U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, told VOA that the U.S. was “really concerned” about the delay in the U.N. Uyghur report, saying that China was continuing “to engage in genocide and crimes against humanity against the Uyghur population” in Xinjiang.

US law blocks some imports from Xinjiang

The Biden administration announced implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which will ban products made with forced labor in China’s Xinjiang province, prompting angry reaction from Chinese officials this week.

News in brief

U.N. human rights chief Michelle Bachelet’s office said that Chinese state media changed a quote of hers. A spokesperson for Bachelet told VOA that while the high commissioner did "commend China's achievements in eradicating poverty," she did not "admire China's efforts and achievements in eradicating poverty, protecting human rights, and realizing economic and social development” as was reported in Chinese media. Bachelet and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Guangzhou last week and she held virtual talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping while visiting the country.

Quote of note

“We must keep them in the camps for at least a year. If that’s not enough, let’s do two years. We absolutely cannot ‘release the tiger back to the mountains.’ ”

— Speech by Chen Quanguo, former Chinese Communist Party secretary of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in leaked Xinjiang police files by Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

XS
SM
MD
LG