Tag: Uyghurs

Uyghur solidarity month


Bringing the plight of Uyghurs to a wider audience

August 2026

We noted in our last post on the Uyghurs that their plight had slipped out of the news in the last year or so. With war in Iran and the closure of the Straight of Hormuz, and continuing conflict in the Middle East including Gaza, giving attention to a far off land where contact with its people is almost impossible is not altogether surprising.

But we need to do our best to bring people’s attention to what is going on there. We should always remember desperate governments do desperate things. The UK is up against it politically and economically. This leads it to pursue arrangements with overseas powers with highly dubious human rights records such as Saudi and UAE, to promote arms sales with almost any country while claiming to have a ‘robust policy’ not to, supporting Israel overtly and covertly despite its destruction of Gaza and mounting violence in the West Bank. Economic needs trump concerns about human rights. Jobs in the UK count for more than rights half way across the world.

Write a letter

We are asking that people write to their local newspaper to highlight the dreadful way the Chinese are treating these people. The campaign organisers have provided a sample letter which unfortunately exceeds the word limit of local papers. We have amended the letter which could be the basis of your own contribution:

I want to draw the attention to people in Salisbury of the dire human rights situation facing the Uyghur people in Xinxiang province, China.

the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights concluded there were credible allegations that the Chinese government had carried out arbitrary detention, torture, forced labour, family separation, and severe restrictions on religious and cultural freedoms on a vast scale on the Uyghur people. They stated that these violations may constitute crimes against humanity. In 2021, the independent Uyghur Tribunal, chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice KC in London, concluded that the Chinese government had committed genocide against the Uyghurs through measures intended to prevent births, and had also committed crimes against humanity.

Despite these findings, the suffering of the Uyghur people continues while the world looks away. More than a million Uyghurs are reported to have been detained, and countless families have been torn apart. Survivors have described detention camps, torture, rape, forced labour, coercive birth-control measures, and the removal of children from their families. Behind every statistic are innocent individuals whose lives have been destroyed for ever.

This month, Amnesty International’s Uyghur Solidarity Month is trying to raise awareness of the continuing crisis but also to celebrate the rich culture, language, and heritage now under such severe threat.

Whether one views this issue through the lens of international law, freedom of religion, cultural preservation, or basic human dignity, the plight of the Uyghur people deserves continued public attention and informed discussion. Uyghur Solidarity Month reminds us that protecting a people’s culture is inseparable from protecting their human rights.

Public awareness alone will not end this crisis, but silence only makes it easier to ignore. We all have a responsibility to ensure that the voices of the Uyghur people continue to be heard.

[NAME]

Provide name and address.

You might be tempted to think that what has this to do with me? It’s sad that a people are being persecuted in a far off land but there are so many other problems nearer to hand, why there? But you are involved. You will have in your wardrobe, or be wearing, many items made of cotton. It is highly likely that some of them have been made with cotton from this region using virtual slave labour – the Uyghurs. A quarter of cotton comes from there. You may have bought these garments from a well known and reputable store in the high street or online. Despite their fine words and protestations about the integrity of their supply chains, they still use this cotton. So you are wearing the evidence. You are involved.

Please write.

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Uyghur Solidarity Month: A Call to Action


Oppression of the Uyghurs continues

August 2026

The oppression and cultural genocide of the Uyghurs continues and has largely dropped out of the news. Such news as there is concerns the desire for China to establish the largest embassy in London and possibly Europe which is still being considered. The fears, the very real fears, is that it will become an espionage hub and also enable the Chinese Communist Party to expand its intimidation of Chines ‘dissidents’ i.e. anyone who disagrees with the CCP. It will be an interesting test of the government’s wil to see if it agrees with this proposal.

Amnesty has declared this month to be Uyghur Solidarity Month and you can sign up using this link. The treatment of Uyghurs and Kazakhs is deplorable and consists of arbitrary detention, torture, forced cultural intimidation and persecution based on religion and ethnicity. Children are separated from their parents. Around 1 million individuals are involved. There is evidence of forced labour that Uyghurs are used to pick cotton which finds its way into clothes sold in high street stores in the UK. No journalists or foreign observers are allowed into the region.

It represents the largest campaign of cultural genocide in the modern era.

One beacon of light is the Kashgar Times which tries to bring news from the area. We include an extract from them below.

“Kashgar Times is an independent news media outlet dedicated to reporting on the Uyghur people and the injustices they face under the oppressive regime of the People’s Republic of China. Kashgar Times was founded on April 30, 2025, by prominent Uyghur advocate Arslan Hidayat and seasoned journalist Nuriman Abdureshid. The outlet aims to serve as a vital source of accurate, on-the-ground news from East Turkistan, also known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

“The Uyghur people have long suffered under systemic oppression. They face cultural erasure and widespread human rights violations—amounting to genocide—by the Chinese government. Yet, despite the urgency of these issues, getting unfiltered news from this region is increasingly difficult. China’s strict censorship and crackdown on free journalism have silenced many voices.

“At Kashgar Times, our mission is to break through that silence. We aim to bridge the information gap. We provide a platform where Uyghur voices can be heard, and their stories told—free from propaganda.

“Kashgar Times fills an urgent gap in today’s media landscape. Our founders bring with them a wealth of experience and passion. Arslan has tirelessly advocated for Uyghur rights on international platforms. Nuriman has sharpened her journalistic skills while reporting for the Uyghur Service at Radio Free Asia. Together, they embody the spirit of resilience and commitment that Kashgar Times stands for.

“At Kashgar Times, we are dedicated to upholding the highest journalistic standards. We aim to present stories that highlight the struggles and triumphs of the Uyghur community, offering insights that are often overlooked or misrepresented in mainstream narratives and especially on Chinese state-run media. By sharing first hand accounts, investigative reports, and expert analyses, we hope to shed light on the reality of life in Chinese-occupied East Turkistan, pushing back against the extensive campaign of disinformation funded by the Chinese Communist Party.

“As a Uyghur-run media outlet, we are committed to reporting on Uyghurs, by Uyghurs, for a global audience. We believe in the power of storytelling to awaken empathy and understanding—allowing the world to grasp the gravity of the situation faced by the Uyghur people.

“We invite you to support our mission by subscribing to Kashgar Times. Your contributions will enable us to continue our crucial work and help us expand our reach and resources. Together, we can create a robust platform that not only informs readers but also amplifies the voices of those fighting for justice and preservation of our people.

“For U.S. Donors Zelle to “kashgartimes.news@gmail.com” (if you don’t use Zelle then donate via DonorBox)”

We hope to bring further posts through the month.

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AI used to create title. No AI used otherwise.

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China successfully threatens university


China forces a British university to stop Uyghur research

November 2025

UPDATE 4 November. Police reported to be investigating to see if the University was assisting a foreign power.

There is considerable evidence that around one million Uyghurs in China are subject to forced labour and people trafficking on a massive scale. It is thought that around one fifth of all textiles are now the product of coercive practices. Garment firms show little inclination to check sources beyond what is called the ‘first tier’ even though they could do so easily. Australian research shows that approximately 100 major consumer brands are sourcing their materials from this region. There are some 380 camps surrounded by razor wire and armed guards. The treatment of such large numbers of people in ways almost amounting to slavery is a matter of major concern. The complicity of many Western garment firms in these crimes is a disgrace.

One of the centres producing the research is based in Sheffield Hallam under prof. Laura Murphy. She has produced many reports and her work has been widely cited. The University congratulated her on this work and her research. Until that is the Chinese complained when everything changed. Her website was taken down and it decided not to publish her latest research. It amounted to a flagrant example of a breach of academic freedom. University staff based in China received threatening visits from security services.

The university said they stopped publication because they could not gain the indemnity insurance for her work mindful of possible lawsuits. Documents released under freedom of information laws showed that the University ‘had negotiated directly with a foreign intelligence service to trade [her] academic freedom for access to the Chinese student market‘. The point being that universities are so cash-strapped these days they have to recruit foreign students to balance their books. In other words, we (China) will not allow our students to come to your University unless you stop publishing material about the Uyghurs. China denies all claims but will not allow foreign observers into the region.

Clearly embarrassed the University has apologised and restored her work.

The story reveals how easy it is for China to intimidate those it dislikes or who comment negatively on their various activities. It also reveals how quickly and tamely a British University agreed to censor an academic’s work. Troubling is that this is an example of something which has come to light. Which other universities are quietly agreeing not to rock the boat and not even allow researches to get underway for fear of losing a contingent of Chinese students? The last two weeks have seen the government tie itself in knots over two alleged Chinese spies and whether or not to prosecute them. China’s increasing power is more and more troubling. Meanwhile, a million or so Uyghurs are virtual slaves.

Detailed work produced by Prof Murphy can be accessed here. It will be interesting to see if China’s heavy-handed efforts to threaten a British University will backfire.

Sources: BBC, China Star, Guardian, Sheffield Hallam University.

Photo: satellite picture of one of the Uyghur camps.

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Trade Talks with China: Ethical Dilemmas Ahead


Government has to decide: rights or trade?

June 2025

It is reported today that the government is engaged in a range of talks with Chinese officials to improve trade and political relations. The Chinese Embassy is quoted as saying that relations have ‘positive momentum’. Elsewhere, relations are described as ‘warming’. Of course both countries are suffering from the Trump tariff war and so a degree of mutual comfort is to be expected.

The fact remains that human rights in China are dire across a very wide spectrum, almost too long to describe in fact. They include no freedom of expression; atrocious and genocidal behaviour towards the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples; Human Rights defenders who face long prison terms and torture; continuing repression in Tibet; the crackdown in Hong Kong and the execution of large numbers of its citizens – possibly equal to all the rest of the world put together. It is also aggressively pursuing overseas Chinese who criticise the country and persecutes any of their family members in China. Restrictions are getting steadily worse over time.

Azeem Ibrahim, speaking at the Humanist Convention this month, described the multi-pronged approach

adopted by the Chinese. It was a talk about the rising threat of autocracies which included Russia and Turkey. He pointed out that the country leads the world in surveillance and it has a massive programme using facial recognition technology. It is also working hard to gain access and control to international agencies in the UN for example. The Warsaw Institute describes how they use their commercial power and investments to shut down any Security Council criticisms of their human rights infringements. His basic message was that China in particular has an organised and well-funded programme to attack western values by any and all means available. He added that the West has been complacent in thinking that western values are a settled state of affairs.

So where does that leave the Labour government? It is reported to be softening its position now it is in government. Nine individuals have travel restrictions placed on them including 5 Conservatives: Ian Duncan Smith being one and Tom Tugendhat another. All because they criticised the treatment of Uyghurs. These restrictions might be lifted. The concern is that the government is desperate to achieve growth and seems willing to abandon all principles to achieve it although a trade deal is not on the cards. This site is concerned with human rights but the wider issue is western governments – like the UK – who seem very slow to wake up to the organised threat posed by autocracies like China who are determined to pursue their view of the world by all means possible.

Sources include: Human Rights Watch, Amnesty, Guardian, US Department of State, New China Human Rights.

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Exeter event


Film being hosted by the Exeter Amnesty group subject: China

On Saturday 18th January at 1pm, Exeter Amnesty group hosts the film, All Static and Noise, at Exeter Phoenix, followed by a Q&A session with Nabila Hanson, AIUK China Coordinator. The plight of Uyghurs in China does not receive the attention it deserves. Governments are keen to forge relationships with the country for commercial reasons. Little attention is paid for example to the scandal of cotton produced using forced or slave labour in the region which finds its way into clothes sold on our high streets.

In the film, All Static & Noise, by David Novack, survivors and their families risk everything to expose the truth of China’s Uyghur detention and ‘re-education’ camps. Jewher, a Uyghur teen from China, lands in the US after she is violently separated from her father at the Beijing airport. Abduweli, a linguist and poet imprisoned and tortured for teaching Uyghur language, leaves for Istanbul upon his release. Together, they join survivors of China’s “re-education camps” and their families, in Turkey, Kazakhstan, Europe and the United States to expose atrocities with the hope that global awareness brings change.

Saturday 18th January 2025 1pm Tickets £7 www.exeterphoenix.org.uk 01392 667080 https://exeterphoenix.org.uk/events/all-static-and-noise/

Image from the film site.

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Taking the shine off Shein


Test for new Labour government over listing of Shein on LSE

July 2024

The new government – likely to be Labour after the election tomorrow – will have an early test in connection with the Chinese clothing firm Shein which wishes to list on the London Stock Exchange. Both Conservative and Labour politicians have been keen to support the bid whereas Wall Street declined for a variety of reasons and doubts about the firm.

Shein has grown at a phenomenal pace but there are many doubts about its finances. LSE is keen to list the firm and there are a range of banks including Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan ready and willing to assist. Today, it was announced the EU is changing the rules which enabled the firm to import millions of pounds of clothing yet avoid duties because each was individually packed thus taking them under the £135 rule.

But the main problem is how the raw material is sourced and the use of sweat shops via sub-contractors in Bangladesh and Vietnam. As we have noted before, about three quarters of the cotton produced by China comes from Xinjiang where there are credible reports of the use of forced labour. In addition is the appalling treatment of Uyghurs where nearly a million are being persecuted and whose culture is being systematically destroyed. It has been described as a crime against humanity and genocide. Shein rejects these allegations and says it is committed to good governance.

Another problem is that the firm is likely to be audited by one of the big four accountancy firms who have a dismal record when it comes to Chinese firms and have been fined on several occasions for accounting scandals.

The Labour party has been keen to court the City as part of its business friendly policy. Three shadow ministers have met Shein’s chairman. Will they play their part in welcoming Shein to the LSE to keep the city bankers happy or will they look closely at their labour practices, lack of transparency and the probable use of cotton from Xinjiang? Amnesty have said to allow them to list will be a ‘badge of shame’. It will be an early test for the new government: money v. morals.

Sources: Private Eye #1626; Guardian; Amnesty International; Stop Uyghur Genocide

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Uyghurs win important case


World Uyghur Congress wins important Appeal Court case concerning cotton produced in Xinjiang

June 2024

The dreadful treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang province in China is well established and around one million of them are kept in 380 internment camps. They are also used as forced labour in the production of cotton and 85% of China’s cotton comes from this region. This cotton finds its way into western markets and is used to produce clothing on sale in UK shops and elsewhere.

The WUC tried to get the National Crime Agency to carry out an investigation which the declined to do saying that they needed details of specific contracts. This was overturned at the Appeal Court in what is being described as a ‘watershed moment‘ ([2024] EWCA Civ 715). The court said the decision by NCA was ‘illegal’. The cotton produced using forced labour infringes the Proceeds of Crime Act. This is the first successful action in the world and is being regarded as a landmark decision. If a company knowingly uses, or which they suspect to be using, forced labour, then a prosecution can be initiated under POCA.

Needless to say the Chinese are angry and the Chinese Embassy said it was ‘an enormous lie by anti-Chinese elements to smear China’. The problem for the Chinese is that it is a closed region and journalists are not allowed in. Footage that has emerged has been shot clandestinely. There seems little doubt however that the scale of the repression, the attempted destruction of the Uyghur culture including banning the language, and the demolition of hundreds of mosques, represents a major crime taking place in the twenty first century. It is variously described as a crime against humanity and genocide.

A lawyer from the Global Legal Action Network said ‘this litigation has been critical in recognising the mass atrocities being committed against Uyghur and other Turkic Muslim people by the Chinese government, and holding to account those complicit in, or profiting from, these crimes.’ Producers of clothes using Chinese cotton will now have to take extra care that it does not use forced labour. Major high street names are involved.

Sources: Binman’s, Reuters, The Guardian, Law Society Gazette

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UN alleges possible ‘crime against humanity’ in China


September 2022

Un report published on 1 September 2022 suggests that China may be committing genocide in Xinxiang province

The BBC today discussed the UN report which describes in great detail, the use of torture, sexual violence and arbitrary detention of the Uyghur population in China. This abuse, which they believe is a possible crime against humanity, has been widely reported around the world and is a huge stain on the Chinese state. Around a million Uyghurs are held in so-called re-education centres and are forced to work picking cotton for example, some of which is believed to used in garments in the UK. Photographs show these establishments surrounded by barbed wire with watchtowers. The release of files last year revealed instructions to the guards should a Uyghur try to escape: if the warning shots did not work then the instructions were shoot to kill.

The Chinese government refutes the allegations and a lengthy report is attached to the UN report. It is described as ‘disinformation’ and a ‘farce’. The BBC interviewed someone representing the Chinese point of view. It was not very enlightening and consisted of a flat denial of the allegations. He also claimed, falsely, that delegations have visited the area and this was not picked up by the interviewer. Allow unfettered access could do a great deal to answer the allegations if they were untrue. The main claim for the actions the government is taking is that it is to tackle ‘terrorism, extremism and radicalisation’. These claims are extremely exaggerated and do not justify the scale of abuse foisted on the Uyghur people.

The World Uyghur Congress welcomed the report but claims it does not go far enough. They urge western governments to do more to challenge the Chinese for their activities in Xinjiang. Amnesty described the report as a ‘game changer’.

One interesting aspect to the BBC interview was the fact that several countries sought to stop the report being published. The Chinese interviewee was vague about this matter and the interviewer wondered if the UK government was one of them. The question was left hanging.

Attitudes towards China have changed in recent years. In the UK, the desperate desire by the then prime minister David Cameron and the Chancellor, George Osborne to forge close relationships with the country now look a little forlorn. Predictions that China was imminently due to overtake the USA economically also look rather silly. The country’s banks and property market are in a parlous state and the economy does not look as strong as it once was. Politically, the crushing of dissent in Hong Kong, their actions in the South China Sea and bullying actions around Taiwan have forced countries to reappraise their approach. The mass abuse of almost an entire nation and the destruction of religious buildings hardly adds to their reputation.

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UN visit to China criticised


Michelle Bachelet’s visit to China and the Uyghurs severely criticised

June 2022

The treatment of the Uyghurs in China has been the subject of criticism for some time and in September 2021, the UN were said to be finalising its report into the matter. Eight months later it still has not appeared and human rights organisations including Amnesty International have urged it to be published immediately.

Bachelet visited China recently and this itself has been severely criticised. She was not given unfettered access to the area nor able to interview individual Uyghurs in private. The World Uyghur Conference has voiced its serious dissatisfaction with the UN visit claiming it was a ‘propaganda victory for the Chinese enabling them to whitewash its activities’.

A previous post detailing some of the treatment the Chinese are meting out to Uyghurs was described. We add our voices to those calling for the report to be published.

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Let us not forget the Uyghurs


The focus on Ukraine risks us forgetting other abuses around the world

One of the problems with crises such as that in Ukraine following the Russian invasion, is that other terrible events can risk being forgotten. It is as though we can only cope with one crisis at a time which may well be true enough. As we watch the horrific events unfold in Ukraine, we must not forget that millions suffer in Syria, Myanmar, Yemen and in China.

In a recent edition of the New Statesman magazine (18 – 24 February 2022), there were several articles under the general heading of The Silencing focusing on the plight of the Uyghurs in China. There were pieces by Katie Stallard, John Simpson, Elif Shafak, Rian Thum and Musapir. Some of the points made are repeated below.

The opening ceremony of the recent Winter Olympics which was described as ‘jarring and banal’. A Uyghur skier stood on a podium with a member of the Han community (the dominant one in China) in an attempt to show harmony and to send the message ‘genocide, what genocide?’ Unfortunately she could not be interviewed as she failed to appear in the media zone. It was denounced by the Uyghur Human Rights Project as a ‘political stunt meant to deflect international criticism as though parading a Uyghur athlete around somehow disproves the party state’s well document atrocity crimes’.

The state has implemented a ‘devastating system of collective punishment that targets the Muslim population of Xinjiang’. Attending a mosque or growing a beard is considered suspect. Hundreds of internment camps and a suffocating network of surveillance technology have been built and between 10% and 20% of the adult population has been detained.

John Simpson notes that ‘the 12 million Uyghurs in Xinjiang, China are suffering one of the most intense policies of collective punishment since the end of the Second World War: a campaign designed to change them as a people, remould their beliefs and limit their numbers.’

Satellite images examined by the Australian Strategic Policy Unit (ASPI) have identified at least 380 detention centres ranging from low-security installations to fortified prisons complete with watch towers, high walls and barbed wire. Some of these were seen in a recent Channel 4 documentary.

Perhaps the most shocking revelation is that they estimate 83 Chinese and foreign brands have allegedly benefitted from the forced labour of Uyghur prisoners and they name Apple, Amazon, Marks and Spencer, Nike and Adidas among others. There have been repeated claims that much of China’s cotton, which is grown in Xinjiang, is produced by slave labour.

Elif Shafak bemoans the shear number of crises around the world and the difficulty we have in coping with it all. She quotes the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, attacks on abortion rights in USA and the ethnic cleansing of Tigrayans in Ethiopia as well as Myanmar. She says one thing that dictators and demagogues know is that numbness is transmissible – that is our indifference and detachment as global citizens.

Every time we fail to investigate a gross human right violation, every time we turn a blind eye to atrocities because we have trade deals or financial engagements, we are closely observed not only by that particular country’s government but also be the authoritarian regimes across the world. for they know that when one of them is met with numbness it will benefit them all. This is how democracy loses. Not only “there” but here and everywhere.

New Statesman 18 – 24 February 2022

As we are learning with Russia and Ukraine, financial interests have dominated our policy and there is now, belatedly, an attempt to control the flow of Oligarch money following the invasion.

UPDATE 8 March 2022: The full ASPI report on Uyghur oppression. Other reports can be found on the ASPI site. More companies listed in the appendix include: Microsoft, Google, Samsung, Electrolux, Gap, Diesel, Zara, Rover, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Nintendo, Nokia, Levi’s, Victoria’s Secret, Gap, Calvin Klein, Adidas and many more [accessed 10 March 2022]. NB: the appendix has been updated to include denials by some of the companies named (not included in this list) and other less well-known companies in the UK have not been included.

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