cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/1873878
The Chinese government is maintaining severe restrictions, conditions, and controls on Uyghurs who seek to travel abroad in violation of their internationally protected right to leave the country, Human Right Watch said today. The government has permitted Uyghurs in the diaspora to make restricted visits to Xinjiang, but with the apparent aim of presenting a public image of normalcy in the region.
Since the start of the Chinese government’s abusive Strike Hard Campaign in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in 2016, Chinese authorities have arbitrarily confiscated passports of Uyghurs in the region and imprisoned Uyghurs for contacting people abroad. While the authorities are now allowing some Uyghurs to apply for or are returning passports for travel internationally, they exert tight control over those who travel.
“The modest thaw in China’s travel restrictions has allowed some Uyghurs to briefly reunite with loved ones abroad after having no news for years, but the Chinese government’s travel restrictions are still used to oppress Uyghurs in Xinjiang and in the diaspora,” said Yalkun Uluyol, China researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The Chinese government continues to deny Uyghurs their right to leave the country, restrict their speech and associations when abroad, and punish them for having foreign ties.”
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Hexbear and ML in hysterical applause.
Hopefully those restrictions are eventually fully lifted. Though I wouldn’t rush on that after hearing how the Syrian Uyghur fighters planned to “liberate Xinjiang”, it’s also important imo to prevent local “bad apples” from colluding with such groups abroad.
Are a few Syrian fighters such a threat to one of the world’s most powerful militaries that it justifies blanket travel restrictions on 26,000,000 people? I wouldn’t want to see, for example, the UK banning travel in and out of its areas with high Muslim populations just because some people in Syria called for the overthrow of the UK
While a few Syrian fighters might not everthrow the government, they are an example of the risk faced by the local population. Xinjiang used to have a huge terrorism problem, people would demonstrate asking for local authorities to step in and take measures. Consider that most people in Xinjiang are not affected by the specific travel restrictions, and therefore don’t mind having them in place if that makes the region safer. Call that a “tyranny of the majority” if you wish. Restrictions will be lifted over time as the risk goes away.
Consider that most people in Xinjiang are not affected by the specific travel restrictions
This is very much at odds with the text of the article unless your position is that most people in Xinjiang would never leave Xinjiang anyway, and also most of the diaspora would not travel to Xinjiang. Barring them from travelling to countries with large Muslim populations seems particularly notable given the importance of making a pilgrimage to Mecca within the religion
I think you’re making an overly broad interpretation of the text of the article. The restrictions only apply to “sensitive” countries, not all countries with large Muslim populations. Xinjiang law explicitly grants Muslims the right to pilgrimage to Mecca. I mean, how could those restrictive laws have passed in the first place if most people in the region were against them?
The restrictions only apply to “sensitive” countries, not all countries with large Muslim populations.
Saudi Arabia is on the list according to HRW https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/09/10/eradicating-ideological-viruses/chinas-campaign-repression-against-xinjiangs
I mean, how could those restrictive laws have passed in the first place if most people in the region were against them?
The answer to this is very obvious, is it not? Xinjiang is part of China, and as such Xinjiangese law is subject to Chinese law
But besides that, Uyghurs are not an outright majority of the population of Xinjiang. The Xinjiang government absolutely could - hypothetically - pass laws that every Uyghur opposes and retain majority support.
As the article in this post states, some “sensitive” countries can be visited for specific reasons, like Kazakhstan. Pilgrimage to Mecca is protected by the China Islamic Association.
My point is that those restrictions serve a purpose of mitigating violence in the region, which is still a risk nowadays, and are being toned down as this risk diminishes, seeking proportionality. Hopefully they’ll be phased out.
Yes, this is true! Palestine? I don’t know what you’re talking about.
The site clearly has an entire section about Palestine. Unfortunately more than one bad thing can happen at once.
This stuff is obviously bullshit, and funded by the west. Decrying China for being anti-muslim and putting people into “concentration camps”, while simultaneously supporting the illegal settler colonial operation in Palestine
Are you denying these restrictions exist entirely? I agree with you that it sucks that we’re only hearing about it as a distraction from atrocities our own governments are committing, but do you think it’s not happening at all?
