Here is a summary of Uyghur-related news from around the world this week.
UK Muslims protest Beijing’s repression of Uyghurs
UK Muslim groups organized protests outside China’s London embassy and its Manchester consulate as part of worldwide demonstrations demanding Beijing stop genocidal policies against Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
A UK Uyghur woman preserves culture through food, fun
A London-based restaurateur uses Uyghur cuisine, music and cultural events to preserve her culture identity for the next generation.
Rights group ask Olympic sponsors: Stand for human rights in Xinjiang
Human Rights Watch urges sponsors of the 2022 Beijing Olympics and the International Olympics Committee to hold China accountable for human rights violations in Xinjiang, which China denies.
China expands repression of Uyghurs beyond its borders
Uyghurs living outside China are harassed, intimidated and surveilled by Beijing, according to a report issued by two Washington-based advocacy groups.
NBA basketball player urges Biden to press Xi on human rights
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter took to the airwaves and social media Monday, calling on U.S. President Joe Biden to bring up atrocities faced by Uyghur Muslims and issues concerning Tibet and Hong Kong in a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
News in brief
— An investigation by Radio Free Asia’s Uyghur Service says thousands of ethnic Uyghurs, including teenagers from Xinjiang, were transferred to locations in Nanjing to be used as cheap or forced labor. The RFA report says the recently transferred workers receive a salary of 2000 yuan (U.S. $313) a month. Some Uyghurs sent to these locations came from what rights groups call internment camps — what Beijing calls “vocational training centers” — in Xinjiang.
Quote of note
“There are just three months until the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, but corporate sponsors remain silent over how they are using their influence to address China’s appalling human rights record.” — Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch.
