World Uyghur Congress set to discuss suppression of minorities by CCP
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CCP’s oppressive strategies to deter Uyghurs in China
The suppressive nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been well studied ever since the Party accumulated power in late 1940s. The unsettling case of Uyghur’s in China however surpasses every other suppressing strategy deployed by the Party. Within the Xinjiang region of China, the Uyghur minority population has been facing systematic suppression and human rights abuses encouraged as well as led by the Chinese government. Several reports from international organizations, testimonies from survivors, and leaked documents have clearly narrated the harrowing experiences of Uyghur’s in detention camps leading to further anger among the diaspora residing abroad as well as international condemnation. Pushed into concentration camps, the minority groups have been understood to be residing in ghettos where forced labour, cultural suppression and complete brain-washing of Uyghur identities are practiced. As part of these brain-washing campaigns, the people have been forced to renounce their religious beliefs all the while enduring physical and psychological torture.
The Uyghur minority is also constantly under surveillance in China and abroad, with the CPC deploying advanced technologies such as facial recognition and DNA collection to ensure they are closely monitored. Furthermore, arbitrary detention and intimidation are also common occurrings for the Uyghur minority in China. These suppressive strategies are being implemented under the disguise of fighting terrorism leading to the detention of over three million Uyghurs in the country. However, despite growing evidence against the Chinese government’s sinister strategies, such practices have only intensified while also dismissing such reports as propaganda.
Moreover, the vast energy and strategic resources that the Xinjiang region sits upon has had considerable impact upon how the Chinese perceive the Uyghur minority in the country. Xinjiang is undoubtedly strategically important for China due to its vast energy resources and location along the Silk Road Economic Belt. Thus, discrimination against Uyghurs serves as a means of asserting political control and quelling any aspirations for autonomy among the youth that seeks to envision a peaceful future.
Institutional responses to China’s xenophobic strategies
China’s strategies have therefore led to worldwide criticism of its policies that promote xenophobia against minority groups. Moreover, Beijing as a response to the critics has only accelerated and intensified its approach of suppression instead of course correcting its objectives. In light of such extreme practices by the CCP, The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) is all set to commemorate its 20th anniversary with a set of events that seek to express the suffering the community has faced due to Beijing’s detrimental geopolitical interests. Encompassing a range of activities, from panel discussions to networking sessions and cultural events, the commemoration aims to bring forth the historic as well as contemporary struggles faced by Uyghur’s in China. The three-day event from 3rd May until the 6th of May in Munich, Germany is expected to include over 300 participants including Uyghur activists, community leaders, survivors of indoctrinations camps, political representatives as well as civil society groups from more than 25 countries worldwide.
The conference also seeks to provide a robust platform for solidarity, dialogue, and unified action against the atrocities and discrimination faced by the minority group of Uyghur’s in China. In accordance to such efforts, it is also imperative for the global community to take decisive steps in order hold Beijing and the CPC accountable for its suppressive polices in Xinjiang against the Uyghur groups. This invariably includes imposing targeted sanctions on individuals and entities involved in the oppression of the Uyghurs as well as investing in raising awareness to ensure that the voices of the oppressed are heard. The platform provided by the WUC thus is the ideal opportunity for the world to show their collective strength in deterring human rights violations by a country that has so far only disregarded global policy objectives.
