All Reading
This section contains a curated list of useful articles, investigations, books and other reading materials. The list is updated on a weekly basis and suggestions for additions are welcome.
Starting Points:
The Black Gate: A Uyghur Family's Story, Part 1
This episode, the first of a two-part series, tells the story of one Uyghur man and his efforts to reunite with his wife and young children, who were detained by Chinese authorities. For two years, he had no idea what had happened to them.
Fearing for the safety of their families in China, most Uyghur-Australians choose to remain silent
Uyghurs who have migrated overseas are a major source of information for human rights groups. Many Uyghurs remain silent out of concern for the safety of family members.
Breaking Down the U.N.’s Report on Xinjiang
This review offers a comprehensive breakdown of the key findings within the report on Chinese government abuses in Xinjiang and its implications.
EU Forced Labour Proposal Falls Short on Uyghur Forced Labour
The European Parliament and Council should introduce amendments to strengthen the European Commission’s proposal to enact a ban on goods made with forced labour, the Coalition to End Forced Labour in the Uyghur Region said today.
China is committing genocide. The world has no plan to stop it.
“We had an illusion that the world would do its best to stop China from this genocide,” said Tahir Imin, a US-based Uyghur academic who believes many of his relatives are in the camps. “But the world has no plan to stop this genocide. It’s not happening.”
Xinjiang Official Figures Reveal Higher Prisoner Count
The Chinese government has used its justice system to sentence and imprison an estimated half-million people during the brutal crackdown in Xinjiang, Human Rights Watch said today. Research indicates that the total number of people wrongfully imprisoned is much higher than official figures.
Uyghurs living under COVID-19 lockdowns in Xinjiang face food shortages, family separations
On Tuesday, Chinese authorities reported only one confirmed case for the entire Xinjiang region, home to 12 million Uyghur people. Despite the censorship of social media from the locked-down areas in Xinjiang, some posts have still surfaced about food shortages and a lack of medical care.
Event: Atrocities Against Uyghurs: Law and Politics
A conference convening experts, scholars, journalists, and activists at the forefront of the human rights crisis in the Xinjiang region of China, covering three key areas: what is happening in Xinjiang, why is genocide committed and what should we do?
"We are Dying": Desperate Messages from Uyghurs Facing Starvation and Death Under Zero COVID Lockdowns
Members of the Uyghur diaspora around the world are stunned and heartbroken as they view dozens of messages expressing mounting desperation amid COVID-19 lockdowns.
China ambassador: U.N. report on Xinjiang has 'closed door of cooperation'
China's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said on Friday that Beijing would not cooperate with the U.N. human rights office following the release of a long-awaited report on alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Event: Beijing’s Global Media Influence: Authoritarian Expansion and the Power of Democratic Resilience
Freedom House's newest report documents how the Chinese government is accelerating its efforts to influence news coverage and commentary in democracies worldwide, including through the use of covert and coercive tactics. Register for this virtual event discussing the report’s findings.
Event: Human Rights in China Under Xi Jinping
Join the Asia Freedom Institute’s Freedom Hour program and a panel of experts for a discussion on China’s human rights record under Xi Jinping, human rights relations between China and Europe, and what to expect after the 20th Party Congress this fall.
UN Uyghur report leaves no room for denial and no excuse for inaction
Despite the relatively narrow scope of Bachelet’s report, it strongly verifies the nature of human rights abuses in Xinjiang in relation to arbitrary detention, and frames them within statements made by Chinese state sources.
Event: Book Launch For Nury Turkel’s Book ‘No Escape’
In this discussion about his new book ‘No Escape’, Uyghur American lawyer and chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom Nury Turkel reveals how China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs.
China’s Quiet Fury Over Xinjiang
We have been told that China is furious over the UN report on human rights in Xinjiang. Yet so far Chinese media have spoken only to the rest of the world - and virtually zero mention of the report can be found inside the country.
For Uyghurs, U.N. Report on China’s Abuses is a Long-Awaited Vindication
For the many Uyghur activists who have campaigned to bring China’s intense crackdown in Xinjiang to light, the recently-released United Nations report that largely validated their claims was a powerful, if long-delayed, vindication.
Opinion | There’s never a convenient time to try to stop a genocide
The damning findings of U.N High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet are shocking — but they should come as no surprise, considering the world has known about these abuses for years. So why isn’t the U.S. government doing more to stop them?
The Backstreets - A Novel From Xinjiang
The Backstreets is an astonishing novel by a preeminent contemporary Uyghur author. A translator’s introduction situates the novel in the political atmosphere that led to the disappearance of both the author and his work by the Chinese state.
United Nations report on Xinjiang backs fears felt by Australia's Uyghur community
Ramila Chanisheff, president of the Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women's Association, told the ABC the report's release had been a long time coming and she hoped "tangible action" would be taken.
China’s Uyghur abuses ‘may constitute crimes against humanity,’ UN finds
In a blistering report, the U.N.'s outgoing human rights chief confirmed that China has committed "serious human rights violations" against the Uyghur Muslim community, adding that such acts are potentially crimes against humanity.