More survivors of the Uyghur genocide in China are talking openly about their horrific experiences. The Associated Press (AP) recently interviewed several survivors who endured torture and were coerced into having abortions they didn’t want.
One of the women, Bumeryem Rozi, who fled to safety in Istanbul, told the AP: “I was 6 1/2 months pregnant. The police came, one Uyghur and two Chinese. They put me and eight other pregnant women in cars and took us to the hospital. They first gave me a pill and said to take it. So I did. I didn’t know what it was. Half an hour later, they put a needle in my belly. And sometime after that I lost my child.”
Bumeryem’s story is identical to hundreds of other stories told to Western journalists in recent years. It is estimated that well over one million Uyghurs (possibly closer to two million) are currently being held in concentration camps, where they are subjected to torture, sadistic sexual violence and forced abortions and sterilisations.
The United States, Canada, and the European Union (EU) recently issued sanctions against China over its treatment of the Uyghur people but the sanctions appear tokenistic and are having no impact in stopping the cultural genocide that’s taking place.
The refusal of the Irish government to take a more robust stance in condemning the Chinese government for their genocidal actions is inexcusable. They expect us to trust them that they are engaging in quiet diplomacy on the issue. This rings very hollow as they have been trotting out the same line for years with nothing to show for it. Meanwhile the cultural genocide continues as our government ministers elbow bump and salute representatives of the Chinese government every time they meet.