Congress Should Be Strongly Condemned for Passing the Uighur Act

On Dec. 3, Congress passed the so-called Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 despite strong opposition from China. This act maliciously attacked the human rights situation in Xinjiang, misrepresented China’s efforts to combat extremism and terrorism, and unjustly criticized the Chinese government’s rule over the territory, thereby grossly interfering in China's internal affairs. As a native Uighur cadre living in Xinjiang, I want to express my strong indignation and condemnation of the act, as I firmly oppose it.

The So-Called Uighur Human Rights Policy Act of 2019 Cannot Mask US Hypocrisy and Hegemonic Logic

This act ignores the facts, reverses black and white, is prejudiced against China's policies toward Xinjiang, erases Xinjiang's developmental achievements, overlooks the feelings of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang including the Uighurs, and once again exposes the endless double standards and hypocritical logic of the U.S. Congress. This is an outrageous interference into China's internal affairs, an act which flagrantly tramples on international norms in an attempt to disrupt Xinjiang. Additionally, the act is resolutely opposed by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Maligning the Legal Crackdown on Terrorism and Extremism Completely Ignores the Calamity

Terrorism and extremism are common enemies of all of humanity, and the target of attacks by the entire international community. Over the years, many countries, including the United States, have experienced violent terrorist attacks due to the extremist influence. These attacks have led to a large number of casualties and incidents of property damage, severely threatened world peace and cast a shadow on societal development. Like many areas in the world, Xinjiang has suffered from terrorism and religious extremism for some time, and people's lives have been seriously threatened because of it.

Since the 1990s, particularly after Sept. 11, the East Turkistan forces at home and abroad have strengthened their association and threatened to establish the East Turkistan State. These forces have been heavily influenced by changes in the international situation and the spread of terrorism and extremism. Under the guise of nationalism and religion, they used the simple ethnic and religious feelings of the masses to spread extremist ideas and incite and instigate violent terrorist activity. From 1990 to 2016, the "Three Forces" — terrorism, separatism, and religious extremism — have led to thousands of violent terrorist attacks in Xinjiang and elsewhere. These attacks have led to the death and injury of many innocent people, and the value of the property lost is incalculable. This seriously affects the order of society, work, production and life, and severely tramples on the rights of all people to life, health and development. These attacks also impede Xinjiang's economic and social development.

Facing a complex and intense counterterrorism struggle, as well as the loud voices of people from all ethnic groups, Xinjiang draws from the experience of the international community in managing terrorism and polarization. Working actively to follow the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, Xinjiang holds the banner of the rule of law high in resolutely maintaining the legal authority of the Chinese constitution. Xinjiang applies the rule of law approach to managing problems, and not only cracks down on serious terrorist attacks, but focuses on addressing the source of the issue. In accordance with the current reality in Xinjiang, the government has adopted a series of counterterrorism measures to eliminate extremism, with a particular focus on eliminating the underlying conditions that breed terrorism and religious extremism. Xinjiang implements these in hope of effectively curbing frequent terrorist activities and maintaining social stability. The measures are meant to defend the bottom line of civilization and maximize the protection of fundamental rights for people of all ethnic groups, such as the right to life, survival, development and other protections. The adoption of counterterrorism measures has achieved several important victories in the fight against terrorism and has also contributed positively to regional and international counterterrorism efforts.

The Uighur Act, for unspeakable reasons, engages in selective blindness and reveals double standards. The act reverses black and white, distorts the facts, stigmatizes the Xinjiang Vocational Skills Education and Training Center, and attempts to deny that Xinjiang made tremendous effort to combat terrorism and protect human rights. It is a serious violation of international justice, defies human intuitive knowledge, and is despised by all kind and righteous people. The act allows the world to see the double standards and hypocrisy of the United States once again. In this regard, the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang will always resolutely oppose it.

Degrading Attacks on the Xinjiang Vocational Skills Education and Training Center Are Completely Upside-Down and Confuse Right for Wrong

The Vocational Skills Education and Training Center is a legally established school. It implements the rule of law, standardization, and the management of human nature according to laws and regulations. The center fully protects students’ personal dignity, national customs and other fundamental rights. In order to rescue people contaminated by religious extremism and those who have committed minor crimes, the education and training at these centers focus on the national language, legal knowledge and professional skills. The goal of this education is to eliminate sources of terrorism and extremism. After graduating, the students of the center find satisfactory jobs with good incomes. Many families have lifted their families out of poverty by achieving one-person employment, and now live happy lives. Some Western politicians and the media have accused Xinjiang of violating the human rights of students. Carrying out vocational skills education and training is done precisely to protect the human rights of students, reduce violent terrorist attacks and protect more people from harm. At the meeting of the United Nations General Assembly Third Committee on Oct. 29, 54 countries made joint speeches that positively evaluated the effectiveness of Xinjiang's counterterrorism measures, pointing out that these measures have lessened the security risk in Xinjiang and effectively safeguarded the basic human rights of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

Ignoring Xinjiang’s Stability and the Improvement of Livelihoods Is Completely Intentional and Sinister

The U.S. wears rose-colored glasses and ignores the fact that Xinjiang's anti-terrorism efforts have led to remarkable results in depolarization and the continued stability. Regarding the implementation of counterterrorism work in accordance with the law, overall, Xinjiang's society has remained stable. There have been no violent terrorist attacks for three years, the influence of extremism has been effectively curbed, and social order has significantly improved.

However, the U.S. is blind to these improvements. In 2018, Xinjiang achieved a gross domestic product of 1.2 trillion yuan (approximately $170 billion), an increase of 6.1% over the previous year; a public budget revenue of 153 billion yuan (approximately $21.75 billion), an increase of 4.5% over the previous year; the average per capita disposable income for urban and rural residents was 21,500 yuan (approximately $3,056), a 7.6% increase over the previous year. Between 2014 and 2018, Xinjiang lifted a total of 2.3 million people out of poverty, and the poverty rate dropped from 19.5% to 6.1%. Some 1.9 million people living in the deeply impoverished areas of the four southern Xinjiang prefectures were among those impacted, and the incidence of poverty in those prefectures dropped from 29.1% to 10.9%. The U.S. chooses to ignore all of these facts.

Since 2010, 19 provinces and cities across the country have contributed aid to improving Xinjiang's employment, education, medical care, social welfare and other benefits. The U.S. has remained quiet about these achievements, which shows that they have sinister intentions. These improvements fully show that things in Xinjiang are done well: not by outsiders, but by the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang and because of Xinjiang's stability and tranquility. We strongly urge the U.S. to take off its rose-colored glasses, lose its hypocrisy, stop promoting the East Turkestan terrorist forces from behind the scenes, and immediately stop attacking Xinjiang with rumors and legislative acts.

The act by Congress will not confuse the course of Xinjiang's future, nor does Xinjiang need the Western media's gossip. We can proudly announce to the world that people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are being led by the Communist Party of China and are strongly supported by the rest of the country. There has never been more confidence in life and hope for the future of Xinjiang. The stability, peace, and prosperity of all people in Xinjiang have not come easily, and everyone should take great care in cherishing and maintaining this situation. We should never allow outside forces to interfere what we have achieved. No amount of defamation can stop the people of Xinjiang from uniting and forging ahead; no amount of rumors can erase the fact that Xinjiang's human rights situation is improving; no scheme can interfere with development and prosperity in Xinjiang.

Bhatia Dawuti is a member of the Party Leadership Group and Deputy Director of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region Department of Ecology and Environment.