PD Editorial: US double standard on counter-terrorism shameful
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The US House of Representatives passed the so-called "Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019," on Tuesday, maliciously attacking the human rights conditions in Xinjiang, slandering China's de-radicalization and counter-terrorism efforts, making groundless accusations against the Chinese government's Xinjiang policies and grossly interfering in China's internal affairs.

It has exposed the hypocrisy and hegemonism of the US on interfering in China's internal affairs. These sinister tricks are doomed to fail.

As is known to all, human rights are comprehensive issues. They include some primary and fundamental rights such as the rights to survival and development, which are the foundations and prerequisites to achieve other individual and collective rights. Without a safe and stable social environment, the rights to survival and development will not be achieved, not to mention other human rights.

For decades, terrorism has been the shadow cast on global communities. Atrocities of terrorist acts not only cause property loss but also spread panic among innocent people, deteriorating the social environment, poisoning economy and people's livelihood, threatening people’s rights to survival and development. So far, the phantom of terrorism and extremism are still haunting the world and imposing significant threats to modern civilizations.

Xinjiang is the main battlefield of China's fight against terrorism and extremism. From the 1990s to the beginning of the 21st century, terrorist attacks frequently occurred in Xinjiang, which greatly endangered the lives and property of people of all ethnic groups and seriously threatened the basic human rights of all peoples.

In light of this situation, the local government has taken some counter-terrorism and de-extremism measures, including vocational skills training, which is not only in accordance with Chinese laws and regulations, but also in line with the basic spirit and principles of the United Nations on preventive anti-terrorism.

It has been proven that those measures have achieved good results and are welcomed and supported by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. At present, public security has been remarkably improved in Xinjiang, religious extremism penetration has been effectively curbed, all ethnic groups are united in harmony, different religions are co-existing harmoniously and smoothly, residents are living a stable and peaceful life, and the social environment has significantly improved. The atmosphere in pursuit of modern scientific and technological knowledge and civilized life is increasingly strong. The basic rights of people of all ethnic groups have been effectively protected. As of now, there have been no violent terrorist incidents in Xinjiang for three consecutive years.

Regrettably, US congress has not only turned a blind eye to China's efforts to de-radicalization, counter-terrorism and the protection of human rights, and to Xinjiang's current economic growth, social stability, ethnic solidarity and religious harmony, but it has also fabricated facts to discredit China's righteous efforts to de-radicalization, counter-terrorism. This is a typical double standard on the issue of counter-terrorism and exposes US hypocrisy on the issue of human rights.

In fact, in order to preserve its hegemony, the US side has long been accustomed to playing with double standards and selective application of rules on the issue of counter-terrorism. The US has used human rights and counter-terrorism as a cover to wage wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, killing millions of innocent civilians and turning more into displaced refugees, but instead it denounces and viciously attacks the practice of de-radicalization by means of vocational education and training in Xinjiang. Such outrageous and unreasonable double standards by the US side will only arouse the great indignation of all people with a just heart and conscience.

Facts speak louder than words and people can tell right from wrong. The international community has condemned the hypocritical and domineering actions of the US. At the same time, the achievements in counter-terrorism, de-radicalization and social governance in Xinjiang have been universally recognized. The establishment of vocational education and training centers is aimed at eliminating the soil and conditions for the breeding and spread of terrorism and religious extremism, and effectively curbing the tendency of frequent terrorist activities.

Many international people understand the urgency, necessity, legitimacy and rationality of carrying out vocational education and training in Xinjiang through field visits to Xinjiang. They believe that education and training have saved those students who are controlled by terrorism and religious extremism and has made important contributions to counter-terrorism and de-radicalization for the international society.

At present, terrorism and religious extremism are still common challenges faced by all countries. Many countries are exploring solutions actively based on their actual conditions. The US side has used the so-called human rights issue to slander and attack China's counter-terrorist efforts in Xinjiang, which has been despised by people of insight in the international community.

We strongly urge the US side to abandon the double standards on counter-terrorism and de-radicalization, stop arguing about the so-called Xinjiang human rights issue, and stop interfering in China's internal affairs through so-called Xinjiang-related issues immediately.

(Compiled by Ryan Yaoran Yu, Elaine Yue Lin and Wang Xiangyu)