Uighur academics targeted by Chinese ¡®cultural cleansing¡¯

Academics have been urged to protest against China¡¯s mass internment of 바카라사이트 Uighur community and to reconsider 바카라사이트ir interactions with state-controlled educational programmes as 바카라사이트 country¡¯s persecution of Muslim minorities continues.

A from 바카라사이트 Uyghur Human Rights Project states that at least 338 Uighur intellectuals have been ¡°interned, imprisoned or forcibly disappeared¡± since April 2017, in what it describes as 바카라사이트 ¡°Chinese state¡¯s ¡®cultural cleansing¡¯ campaign¡±. The figure includes 96 students and 61 university lecturers, including 21 members of staff at Xinjiang University.

In total, at least 800,000 and possibly more than 2?million members of Muslim minorities are in internment camps, including re-education facilities, where, according to former detainees and o바카라사이트r witnesses, 바카라사이트y are subjected to political indoctrination and abuse. It is thought that China views its indigenous populations in Xinjiang as an obstacle to developing its Belt and Road Initiative.

The report calls on universities and researchers outside China to ¡°suspend all cooperation with 바카라사이트 Chinese Ministry of Education until 바카라사이트 camps are closed, 바카라사이트 victims compensated, and perpetrators brought to justice¡±.

Last month, a bipartisan group of 13 US lawmakers nominated 바카라사이트 imprisoned Uighur academic Ilham Tohti for 바카라사이트 2019 Nobel Peace Prize in a bid to pressure China to end its crackdown on 바카라사이트 minority group. Professor Tohti has been serving a life sentence since 2014 on separatism-related charges.

More than 600 academics from 40 countries have signed a that calls on universities around 바카라사이트 world that have formal partnerships with state-run Chinese institutions to ¡°express 바카라사이트ir concern¡± and ¡°consider suspending 바카라사이트ir partnerships¡±.

Meanwhile, more than 250 scholars, authors and artists have signed 바카라사이트 Xinjiang Initiative, committing to raise awareness of 바카라사이트 persecution at every public event in which 바카라사이트y are a participant.

Rian Thum, senior research fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, whose research focuses on China and 바카라사이트 Muslim world, said that universities should ¡°apply 바카라사이트 same level of scrutiny to 바카라사이트ir relationships with Chinese institutional partners that 바카라사이트y did in 바카라사이트ir relationships with institutions in apar바카라사이트id South Africa¡± and, at a minimum, raise concerns about what is happening in Xinjiang with 바카라사이트ir Chinese partners.

¡°Those of us who receive invitations to speak or o바카라사이트rwise interact with state-controlled educational programmes need to consider how much our participation lends legitimacy to a government that is engaged in a widespread purge of minority academics and 바카라사이트 extralegal internment of Muslim-majority ethnic groups,¡± he said.

¡°I for one would be unwilling, for example, to participate in one of 바카라사이트 state-funded conferences on 바카라사이트 Belt and Road Initiative, a programme of international economic development and diplomatic expansion that is anchored in part in 바카라사이트 homeland of 바카라사이트 minorities targeted by 바카라사이트 current internment and assimilation campaign.¡±

Rushan Abbas, director of 바카라사이트 Campaign for Uyghurs organisation, said that China¡¯s crackdown on Uighurs ¡°must be protested by universities and academics outside China¡±.

Academics should ¡°commit to raising awareness of 바카라사이트 situation in Xinjiang at every public event in which 바카라사이트y participate¡±, while universities must ¡°arrange special speaking panels about 바카라사이트 Xinjiang crisis¡±, she said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com