The US signed into law the so-called “Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020” on Wednesday, local time.
This so-called Act deliberately denigrates the human rights conditions in China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, viciously attacks the Chinese government’s Xinjiang policy, blatantly violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, and grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs. The Chinese government and people express strong indignation and firm opposition to this.
It must be pointed out that the essence of Xinjiang-related issues is not about human rights, ethnicity, or religion clamored by the US, but about combating terrorism and de-radicalization.
Since the 1990s, the “three forces”, namely separatists, religious extremists and terrorists, have executed thousands of violent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang, inflicting heavy casualties and property losses and trampling on all the rights of local people.
In light of such conditions, the Chinese government has taken a series of measures to combat these activities and prevent their re-occurrence, in an approach of addressing both the symptoms and root causes of the problem. The measures taken are in compliance with Chinese laws. These are also China’s concrete steps in implementing the international counter-terrorism and de-radicalization initiatives.
These efforts have proven to be efficient. For more than three years, Xinjiang has been free from violent terrorist incidents. The rights to life, health and development and other rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are protected.
The so-called Act disregards facts and distorts the truth. Facts speak louder than words. Today, the well-being of people of different ethnic groups and religious beliefs in Xinjiang are guaranteed, as they live together as equals, enjoy unity and harmony.
In 2019, the region received over 200 million tourists, and its economic grew 6.2 percent year on year. This year, it will eliminate absolute poverty.
Uyghur population in Xinjiang has grown to 11.65 million or 46.8 percent of the total. There are over 24,000 mosques in Xinjiang, which means there is a mosque for every 530 Muslims on average. As one of the 56 ethnic groups of China, the Uyghur people are entitled to all the rights and freedom under the Constitution.
Despite the noises of the US, the international community has formed a just opinion regarding the merits of the issue.
At the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council, representatives of many countries praised China for the achievements in counter-terrorism and de-radicalization with an open and transparent attitude. They also commended China for inviting over 1,000 diplomats from various countries, officials of international organizations, journalists, and religious figures to visit the autonomous region, as well as China’s invitations to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit Xinjiang.
In July 2019, ambassadors of over 50 countries to the UN Office at Geneva co-signed a letter to the president of the UN Human Rights Council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, applauding China's respect and protection of human rights in its counter-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts.
The so-called Act seeks to stigmatize Xinjiang’s measures against terrorism, separatism and radicalization, and applies double standards on counter-terrorism.
The US has started warfare in Islamic countries such as Iraq and Syria under the pretext of counter-terrorism, killing and injuring millions of innocent people. It also identified terrorism with particular countries, regions and ethnic groups, and issued a Muslim ban for Muslim-majority countries.
A US survey shows that 75 percent of adult Muslims in the US believed that discrimination against Muslims was pervasive in the country, while 69 percent of the general public held the same view. Half of Muslims felt that it had become more and more difficult to be a Muslim in the US in recent years.
The US should have seriously reflected on the bad human rights conditions on its own territory. Some US politicians, out of their own political interests, have turned a blind eye to its domestic situation and wantonly interfered in China’s internal affairs, which once again prove that they are not the human rights defenders as they have proclaimed at all.
China demands the US side to correct its mistakes at once, stop using this Xinjiang-related Act to harm China’s interests and interfere in China’s internal affairs. The Chinese government and people are resolute in safeguarding China’s sovereignty, security and development interests.
The US attempt to sow discord among various ethnic groups in China, undermine prosperity and stability in Xinjiang, and contain China's growth under the pretext of Xinjiang-related issues will never succeed.