Beijing to impose visa restrictions on U.S. officials over 'lies'
In March, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will restrict visas on Chinese officials linked to "repressive acts" against ethnic and religious minorities in Xinjiang. In response, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said last week that Beijing will announce a similar visa restriction on U.S. officials over "malicious lies" about China's human rights record.
China limits number of Uyghurs allowed to fast during Ramadan
Radio Free Asia reported that the Chinese government in Xinjiang is restricting the number of people who can fast in the region during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Rights groups say the government directive is yet another method of erasing Uyghur culture in the area.
Xinjiang police high case clearance rates reflect 'scary reality'
In what one human rights activist calls a "scary reality," the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau, the region's police, ranked first in the country for homicide clearance rate last year, solving 100% of cases, according to a Chinese state media report. The report also lauded the region's high court for concluding the most cases in the same time period.
Uyghur runs for a seat in Australian parliament
Intezar Elham, 28, the daughter of Uyghur immigrants from Xinjiang, is running for a seat in Australia's parliament, Radio Free Asia reported. Elham told RFA that she wanted to serve as a voice for Uyghurs in Australian politics.
US senator says Disney 'worse than silent' on Uyghur genocide
U.S. Senator Tom Cotton said in a Fox News interview that Disney was "worse than silent" on Uyghur genocide and that the company "actually thanked" Chinese government entities in Xinjiang, where "they are systematically trying to exterminate a religious and ethnic minority, putting millions of them in concentration camps."
Chinese military test new equipment in Xinjiang desert drill
China's People's Liberation Army used military exercises to test new types of equipment alongside troops in simulated battlefield conditions in the desert region of Xinjiang.
News in brief
In a report by Radio Free Asia, two more Uyghurs in Saudi Arabia face the risk of deportation to China, which the U.S. and other countries accuse of committing genocide against Uyghurs. VOA reported in January that two Uyghur men detained in Saudi Arabia, Hemdullah Abduweli and Nurmemet Rozi, had faced deportation. Last week, Buhalchem Abula, the former wife of Rozi, and their 13-year-old daughter were detained by Saudi authorities. Family members, rights activists and groups have urged Saudi Arabia not to deport them to China, where they might face severe punishment, including torture.
Quote of note
"Deporting these four people — including a child — to China, where Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities are facing a horrific campaign of mass internment, persecution and torture, would be an outrageous violation of international law."
— Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International's deputy regional director for the Middle East and North Africa
