Is China oppressing its Muslim Uighur citizens?
By Sakia Sraboni
The Holocaust was the Nazis’ assault on the Jews between 1933 and 1945; an organized campaign during which over six million Jews were murdered by using “final solutions.” This remains one of the most horrid episodes of human history. Not only were over 1.5 millions of children murdered, but inhumane experiments were also done on both children and adults. Now a similar situation is happening in 2018.
China has detained as many as 1 million Uighurs in so-called “reeducation centers” or captive camps. Uighurs are ethnically Turkic Muslims, and there are about 11 million of them in western China. The Xinjiang government forced them to undergo psychological indoctrination programs. Chinese authorities have reportedly used waterboarding and different forms of torture on the ethnic minority. They are using the infamous “Tiger Chair,” (a constricting metal chair in which a person can be immobilized for hours or entire days) to convert practicing Muslims into a people who only worship the Chinese government. These cruel acts directed specifically against this minority begin to look more and more like a form of genocide. Yet when the existence of these camps was first exposed, Chinese officials claimed that the camps were merely “vocational and training centers” intended to combat extremism. The camps were supposedly teaching detainees useful and valuable skills.
The “tiger chair” torture device.
Surprisingly, the whole world seems to have has gone silent about these events. The authorities that control Western news media seem unconcerned about such atrocities; while Chinese news outlets are controlled by the government. As a teenager, I feel that it’s our responsibility to raise awareness about the issues that matter to us. Don’t shush your inner voice. Speak up about injustice, and spread awareness to help all people have a better future. Don’t allow the bad history of the Holocaust to repeat itself again.