Review Article

Karthiga S (BD/20/483) FC V

Link to the Article:

(24 May 2022)Who are the Uyghurs and why is China being accused of genocide?.
Available at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037

Word count: 1076

SUMMARY
China Accused of possible genocide of Uyghur Muslims of Xinjiang:
China is being accused of Violating Human rights of more than one million
Uyghur Muslims who reside in the North-western region of China, namely
Xinjiang. Although China has denied all the allegations of Human rights abuse,
BBC has obtained a series of police files revealing the details of the camps and
the “Shoot to kill ” policy when someone tries to escape. The Oppression of the
Uyghur community continues as China forces the Uyghur community women to
get sterilized and by separating the families by forcefully taking away the
children. It not only stops there but the cultural traditions are also being banned
and the tombs and mosques are being destroyed. From the Data Analysis of the
Recent police files of Xinjiang, it is revealed that in the years 2017 and 2018, about
23,000 people, or more than 12% of the county's adult population, were housed in a
camp or prison. The documents contained "grave details of China's human rights
breaches," according to UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss. As defined by the
International Convention, China is now strongly accused of commiting Genocide
by several countries Including US, UK and Canada.

CRITICAL ASSESSMENT

A Muslim ethnic group in the North-western region of Xingjiang known as

Uyghurs are being detained in so-called “re-education camps” against their will
and are sentenced to prison terms when they choose to disobey. Xinjiang is an
Autonomous region which means it has powers of self-governance but they are
still subjective to the restrictions made by the central government.
It is clear that the Uyghurs are treated as a minority in China and are
systematically oppressed to the point of genocide. When the Chinese government
was confronted by the UN and countries such as the United states and United
Kingdom, the allegations were completely denied saying that the evidence was
fabricated to bring down the reputation of the country and its economy. After
revealing the “Xinjang Police files”, the Chinese Government stated - “ the peace
and prosperity brought to Xinjiang as a result of its anti-terrorism measures were
the best response to "all sorts of lies" .

But the People who managed to escape the camps tell otherwise, it is reported
that there has been Physical, mental and sexual violence by stripping down the
basic Human rights of the Uyghurs. The women who escaped the camps have
reportedly been subjected to widespread rape and sexual assault. In this
instance, it is clear that China has entirely eradicated respect for the community
by being negligible for the actions they are accountable for. The Uyghurs in the
camps are openly taken advantage of by making them labor hard for a long time
in exchange for little to nothing. When confronted the Chinese law, the
responsibility turns back to the Uyghurs who caused trouble for wanting their
own state in 2009 and the Uyghurs are now watched through surveillance
installed in most parts of Xinjiang and various police checkpoints and other
measure invading their basic rights of privacy have been implemented, which still
can’t be concluded right in an ethical point of view. The Chinese government is
working under an Utilitarian rule but it applies only to the government
organizations and economy of the country by completely ignoring the agenda of
the UN.

Who is the reason behind these Inhuman activities? Who gave rights to kill a
community of people in a genocide? Who should be held responsible for all of
this? Is it right that the Uyghurs deserve all this just because they wanted a
region of their own? The answer is NO. If only the government has been more
Inclusive of the community, all the lives of the people would have been saved and
respected, the kids need not have suffered separation from their parents, the
adults could’ve led a good and normal lives with their families. The Lack of ethics
and respect towards one community has drastically changed the lives of people
by making it harder for them to survive.
PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND VALUES TO BE FOLLOWED

China is one of the Major countries in the world with a large population. Because
of its rapid growth of the economy, it is considered to be one of the top most
developing countries. And then the dirty side of the economy can be seen
through oppression of minority communities and killing them by tortue and
justifying it in a way that they deserve it and showing absolutely no compassion
towards humankind. The Whole line of Hierarchy is responsible for these unjust
behaviors. These actions were ordered by the people in Authority who are part of
government political parties. It should be known that handling a country is a
huge deal to count on and should not be taken lightly just because of some few
compromises. There must be a certain ethical culture that the members of the
government must follow. Without values and respect for others, the nation is
prone to fail one day or another if not now. Before getting into the political side of
the government, the officers should go through an ethical knowledge class so
that they can understand the values and the consequences of each and every
action they do. They should be taught more about compassion towards the
people and the values to protect them as the government is for the people. So
that more people's welfare schemes can be established. And develop the trust
among the government and the people, so that the country can be a better place.

CONCLUSION

The allegations and issues mentioned in this article goes much deeper than the
surface level which is portrayed in the media. But one thing that is clear and
prominent is that the basic values of Humanity are absent. Which led to inhuman
actions and genocide. Again these actions cannot be justified that these are
followed to prevent terrorism and to root out islamic extremism. There are several
other ways to follow these and accusing the whole of islamic community is an
offense and absolute racism. People should be more inclusive towards each and
every community and they all should follow a set of ethical values which
represents the Integrity of the Nation.