A recent mass stabbing incident in the Chinese city of
Kunming
has highlighted the tensions
between the Uighur people of the ‘autonomous’ region of Xinjiang and the
central Chinese Government. These recently led Amnesty International to publish
a report
which, amongst other concerns, highlighted suppression of "peaceful
expressions of cultural identity".
A while has passed since I visited the city of Urumchi
in Xinjiang, and – although I will withhold many of the details, to protect the
people involved – I do want to share what was for me an important incident.
In circumstances that I think should remain private, I
was passed a brief letter, entitled “voice of uyghurs heart” (sic) by a member
of the Uighur community.
It is, I think, self-explanatory:
Voice of Uyghurs heart
Voice of Uyghurs heart
I am a Uyghur.
I am proud of myself
being Uyghur.
I have no right to
speak for freedom truth.
The Chinese Communist
terriest party dehumize the Uyghurs very hard and we are living worse
(struck-through text).
Even without we cannot
look at the Chinese people. If we look at them they kill us as a animal.
I hope you could carry
on this letter in England, please.
I am so interest in
you free country.
On returning to the UK, I did bring this to the
attention of Amnesty International (and I am not, of course surprised that they
were unable to respond in any way). But my correspondent, at very considerable
risk to himself, wanted this brief letter to come to the west… and I think now
is an appropriate time to make it public.
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