The local government in China’s Xinjiang Region is condemning the United States’ new Uygur Human Rights Policy Act. At a news conference, local officials said the decision was based on “baseless lies” and had deeply hurt the people in Xinjiang. CGTN’s Sun Ye has more.
In unusually harsh words, Xinjiang’s local officials vehemently protested the passage of the so-called Uygur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020.
AIKEBAIER AIDAER Deputy Dir., Ethnic, Religious & Foreign Affairs Committee Standing Committee of RPC, Xinjiang “The US is acting in defiance of China’s opposition. It’s behaving in total disregard of the prevailing view of the international community. Its acts have grossly violated international law and international norms. It’s interfering in China’s internal affairs, and hurting the feelings of all the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The Xinjiang government and all its people now strongly denounce the act! We are opposed to it!”
Local officials also say the act is based on questionable information. The region’s spokesperson says it’s “ridiculous” that the US would call the region’s vocational training schools “concentration camps”.
ELIJAN ANAYIT Spokesperson Information Office, People’s Government of Xinjiang “Xinjiang’s education and training centers are all operated in line with the Constitution and the law. The centers respect and protect the rights of all their trainees, they also protect and fully guarantee the freedom of trainees. These centers have singing matches and basketball games. These centers work to fulfill the needs for their students in class as in life. How could you call these places ‘concentration camps’? It’s simply ridiculous.”
One of the region’s most prominent figures in fighting terrorism also came out Friday to refute the US’s claim that Xinjiang’s anti-terrorism efforts were targeting and hurting its own ethnic groups of people.
YALQUN YAQUP Deputy Director General, Xinjiang Public Security Department “Since the 1990s, the separatist, terrorist and extremist forces inside and outside China have plotted and carried out thousands of violent and terrorist attacks, killing large numbers of innocent people and hundreds of police officers. The bloody and atrocious violent terrorist crimes have brought enormous suffering to all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The situation is severe. The local government lawfully strikes at all sorts of violent terrorist activities that violate human rights, endanger public security, undermine ethnic unity, and attempt to split the country. Our fight against evil has been widely supported by all people from all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The international society is also of this opinion.”
Xinjiang officials also warn, if the US doesn’t retract these sentiments and continues to “play with fire”, it will burn itself. SY, CGTN.
