Uighurs have suffered tremendously under the Chinese government; especially in the Northwestern Xinjian region where internment camps have inhumanly treated the Uighur people. As a means of survival, many Uighurs would travel to the Muslim majority Turkey to escape the authoritarian government of China. Many Uighurs have called Turkey their home but it seems that their home is now being threatened by China, even while in another nation. Turkey's national police force has made multiple arrest and deportation efforts of Uighur civilians with allegations of terrorism against China. Many Uighur civilians are concern that the increase of these allegations will lead to the haven, that is Turkey, to be dismantled; leaving the Uighur people at risk of the Chinese internment camps. To many who hear of this, you might be wondering, Why would Turkey help in the targeting of Uighur people while knowing of the harsh treatment that China puts on the people? Well the increase in arrest may have something to do with Turkey securing ties with the Chinese government as a way to bring investors to the Middle Eastern nation after dealing with years of foreign debt and inflation. Turkey has suffered economically for the past few years, but the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has decided to assist the Turkish economy with a $3.6 billion loan. Not only is China helping economically, but also with Covid-19 relief by sending 50 million doses of Coronavirus shots to Turkey. The leverage of trade and covid relief brings fear to the Uighur people who see the new Turkey-Chinese cooperation as a defeat to their haven center of Turkey. Another reason the Uighur people fear such ties is that the two nations have worked on an extradition treaty as a way to combat their religious freedoms; allowing China to silence Uighurs in Turkey by allowing them to extradite any opposition to China. Even though Turkey's minister of foreign affairs has denied that Uighurs are used as political tools; arrests have increased and leave many Uighurs in deportation centers. Uighurs have been suffering under the Chinese government by being abused and even killed in the so called "vocational training centers" in China. Uighurs have protested fiercely against the Chinese government and their genocide of Uighur people; protesting at their local Chinese Embassy and even the capital of Turkey, Istanbul. Chinese leverage can mean catastrophe to the Uighur people as their freedom of religion has been oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party and its military. Practicing religion should not be the reason of persecution; and sending a group of people to internment camps based on their religious beliefs brings concern on an international level as China breaks Human Rights Laws protected by the United Nations. Seeing that China sits as a member of the Human Rights Council worries me that international organizations are not taking action to stop such violations from occurring; especially to a nation who is a sitting member of the Human Rights Council. All people are to be protected by such violations but the peacekeeping organization, UN, seems to be stuck in their decisions because China is a member of their council. Even though China is involved, I do not believe that a group of people should be persecuted based on their religious beliefs. In order for humanity to thrive, all should be protected by the International policies of freedom of religions in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Jesse Solis
The Wall Street Journal - Article written by Eva Xiao (February 1, 2021 9:00 AM ET)
https://www.wsj.com/articles/exiled-uighurs-fear-chinas-reach-will-erode-turkish-haven-11612178314
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