New Report Shows Evidence of Uyghur Genocide

A report published by the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy is the first independent investigation showing evidence of the Uyghur genocide.

Earlier this week, the non-partisan think tank released a document citing conclusive evidence towards China’s breaches of the 1948 Genocide Convention concerning the treatment of Uyghurs.

With the help of dozens of experts from various fields, Newlines Institute examined all available sources, that were collected and verified, to produce a “presentation of facts” regarding the matter.

The 55-page report delves into the different offences carried out by the state towards the minority group.

The executive summary of this document highlights the horrific actions that have taken place and continue to be carried out against the Uyghur people.

Since 2014, the Government of China has taken extreme measures in the Xinjian Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) to tackle supposed domestic terrorism.

Laws have been established since then that are leading to the eradication of the cultural and religious identity of XUAR inhabitants.

Invasive state surveillance methods have been applied throughout the region. This includes active policing of households, where the government have deployed Han cadres into homes to monitor the activities of Uyghur families.

Selective targeting of community leaders and intellectuals have also contributed to the genocide. Those who have spoken out against the government or continue to promote Uyghur traditions face prolonged sentences or death.

In addition to this, cultural architecture and sacred sites, including mosques, have either been demolished or converted into commercial spaces.

Mass internment has been a focal point in the media, with a reported three million Uyghurs detained in concentration camps according to Rushan Abbas in September 2020.

The last few years have seen the speedy construction and expansion of said camps with increased disciplinary action taken upon its occupants.

Another eye-opening fact presented in the report, going hand-in-hand with mass internment, is a mass birth-preventing strategy.

Uyghur women of childbearing age are forcefully sterilised while men of the same age are being put into camps. The preventative measures women are subjected to include forced IUD insertions, abortions and medication that alters bodily functions.

This demonstrates an active attempt to deprive future Uyghur populations and eventually eradicate them.

All of the heinous actions mentioned above breaches every act found in Article II of the Genocide Convention. Newlines Institute’s report explains more graphic details surrounding the plight of Uyghurs.

It needs to be read by policymakers across the globe and acted upon. The CCP needs to be held accountable for these atrocities.

Time and time again, history keeps repeating itself and we wait until it’s too late to make a change.

A quarter of the Uyghur population has already been affected by mass internment. Will we wait until they are all imprisoned to make a change?

Photo by Антон Дмитриев on Unsplash