Will new US President prioritise ending Uyghur genocide, asks activists
Nov 05, 2020
Washington [US], November 5 : Regardless of who is elected as the President in the United States, Uyghurs hope that the elected administration in the next four years will bring a 'renewed commitment' by stopping the atrocities on Uyghurs by the Chinese Communist Party, said Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU).
"Uyghurs have been denied their basic rights as human beings because their land is occupied by an authoritarian regime, and now facing active genocide and being used as modern-day slaves by the world-famous brands. Regardless of who is elected in the United States, we sincerely hope that the next four years will bring a renewed commitment to make stopping these atrocities a priority," Campaign for Uyghurs said in a statement on Tuesday.
The non-profit organisation said while there is no "perfect system in the world", the abilities that human beings have to raise their voices is "best used in support" of maintaining environments, in which human beings are not punished for stopping evil.
"For all the chaos of election season, the reality of how much Uyghurs would like to be able to elect a leader who doesn't actively inflict harm upon them remains ever in our minds," it added.
It further wrote that as the leader of the "world's most powerful nation" is elected, "may we remember the active oppressor who seeks to oppose it. Will our next four years see the end of the Chinese regime's terrorization of Uyghurs, and indeed, the world?"
According to CNN, former Vice President Joe Biden leads Donald Trump 253 to 213 electoral college votes, as of 1.23 am Eastern Standard Time (EST).
Xinjiang region is home to around 10 million Uyghurs. The Turkic Muslim group, which makes up around 45 per cent of Xinjiang's population, has long accused China's authorities of cultural, religious and economic discrimination.
About 7 per cent of the Muslim population in Xinjiang, has been incarcerated in an expanding network of "political re-education" camps, according to US officials and UN experts.
Classified documents known as the China Cables, accessed last year by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, threw light on how the Chinese government uses technology to control Uyghur Muslims worldwide.
However, China regularly denies such mistreatment and says the camps provide vocational training. People in the internment camps have described being subjected to forced political indoctrination, torture, beatings, and denial of food and medicine, and say they have been prohibited from practising their religion or speaking their language.
