Babur Ilchi, Program Director at Campaign for Uyghurs, spoke to NewsX in an exclusive and shared his thoughts about the Tiananmen massacre, and the onslaught Uyghurs are facing. Excerpts:
Q. What are your thoughts regarding the Tiananmen Massacre and how China has not changed its stance despite facing criticism over the years?
A: The 1989 massacre was an absolute tragedy. Since that incident, we have seen that the CCP has no respect for human rights and human dignity. China has witnessed a massive crackdown of the Uyghurs. It is nothing short of a human genocide where close to 3 million Uyghurs are locked up in camps and prison. They are tortured and sexually abused. Many of them have died. The situation is dire. It is unfortunate to see that CCP is refusing to hold itself accountable. This has been their strategy for decades now. The international community must take strict actions; what they did not do in 1989 must be done now. It is very symbolic that the day of the anniversary marks the beginning of the Uyghur Tribunal, which is a huge independent people’s enquiry into the ill-doing of the CCP. The Tribunal represents the enquiry and aims at uplifting the people through truth and justice.
Q. The discussion over Uyghur Muslim oppression is being talked about on a global level. Can you say that the situation on the ground is similar, which may prove to be a matter of concern for Xi Jinping?
A: It is very difficult to know what’s happening on the ground in China due to the extremely oppressive regime and strict control on the flow of information. People aware of this dire situation are significantly less, but a vast majority is still in the dark about the reality of the Chinese Regime for the Uyghurs. What we’ve seen is that a few individuals recognize the unjust treatment of Uyghurs. A few months ago, CCP called for a boycott of brands that had made a public statement about using cotton harvested from forced labour by Uyghurs.