China Promotes Xinjiang as Tourist Spot Amid Human Rights Concerns, Says Activist Salih Hudayar
Washington, DC [US], August 14: China is trying to make Xinjiang a popular place for tourists, despite being watched closely for human rights issues. This plan is led and paid for by the Xi Jinping administration, according to the Foreign Affairs & Security Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile.
Recently, China’s Foreign Ministry shared that Xinjiang saw a big increase in tourists and money from tourism in the first seven months of 2024. However, the East Turkistan National Movement, which works to show the world the human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, often challenges China’s actions, including this new tourism push.
Salih Hudayar, a well-known activist who speaks out against China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims, criticized this move. On X, he said, “The genocidal Chinese regime is inundating East Turkistan with millions of Chinese tourists in a blatant attempt to obscure and whitewash its heinous campaign of colonisation, genocide, and occupation. This shameless facade is meant to hide the brutal suffering of millions of Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. The international community must not be misled by China’s deceptive propaganda–China must be held accountable, and its brutal occupation, Uyghur genocide, and state terrorism in East Turkistan must end immediately.”
East Turkistan is a term used by some groups to refer to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Reports show serious human rights abuses in Xinjiang, including the detention of over one million Uyghurs in “re-education camps” or “vocational training centers,” which China says are for fighting extremism. There is also evidence of cultural and religious repression, like the destruction of Uyghur mosques and cemeteries and limits on religious practices.
Xinjiang is known as one of the most heavily watched areas in the world, with lots of facial recognition technology and other monitoring tools. There are also many reports and satellite images showing large internment camps in Xinjiang. While China calls these “re-education” camps, international observers and human rights groups see them as detention centers.
Doubts Revealed
Xinjiang -: Xinjiang is a region in China where many Uyghur Muslims live. It’s in the northwest part of the country.
Human Rights Concerns -: Human rights concerns mean that people are worried about how others are being treated. In Xinjiang, there are reports that Uyghur Muslims are not being treated fairly.
Activist -: An activist is someone who works to bring about social or political change. Salih Hudayar is an activist who speaks out about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Salih Hudayar -: Salih Hudayar is a person who talks about the problems Uyghur Muslims face in Xinjiang. He wants the world to know about their suffering.
Xi Jinping administration -: The Xi Jinping administration refers to the government led by Xi Jinping, who is the President of China.
Uyghur Muslims -: Uyghur Muslims are a group of people who follow Islam and live mainly in Xinjiang, China. They have their own unique culture and language.
Mass detentions -: Mass detentions mean that a large number of people are being held in places like jails or camps, often without a fair reason.
Cultural repression -: Cultural repression means stopping people from practicing their culture, like their language, religion, or traditions.
Surveillance technology -: Surveillance technology includes cameras and other tools used to watch and monitor people closely, often to control their actions.
