Uyghur-Chinese confrontation on Al Jazeera TV

It has been a year since the release of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' report on East Turkistan, and the issue of East Turkistan is being extensively discussed in various media outlets.

Just last week, Amnesty International noted that a full year has passed since the publication of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights' report on East Turkistan. However, international organizations and countries have been unable to take strong measures against the inhumane atrocities in East Turkistan. They emphasized that the international community's response to China's crimes has been insufficient and called on the international community to take action.

On September 6th, a discussion program on the topic took place on Al Jazeera Arabic, one of the most prestigious international channels.

The program featured Mr. Abdulwarith Abdulkhalik, the President of the East Turkistan Press and Media Association based in Turkey (Istiqlal Media Group), representing the East Turkistan Diaspora, and on the other side, Rong Huan, a political analyst and writer who is a propagandist for the Chinese regime, based in Beijing. The host first asked the guests about the UN's report on East Turkistan.

Despite the UN report, countries remain silent.

Mr. Abdulwarith, speaking first, mentioned that there is a comprehensive report indicating China's inhumane genocide crimes in East Turkistan, which was published by former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet in the final moments of her term on August 31st of last year. He expressed disappointment that, as noted by Amnesty International, more countries and organizations have remained unresponsive to China's crimes.

Chinese analyst Rong Huan, on the other hand, completely denied China's crimes in East Turkistan and argued that China's only concern is "counterterrorism and combating extremism." Huan tried to legitimize the detention camps, claiming that as a result of China's policies, there have been no terrorist incidents in East Turkistan in recent years.

The host was bothered by China's narrative.

The host immediately intervened, pointing out that the concept of counterterrorism is very broad and can encompass many things. They questioned the host about reports from the UN and other reputable human rights organizations, testimonies from witnesses in the detention camps, and images and videos circulating worldwide from East Turkistan.

Official documents documenting the state-sponsored terrorism in East Turkistan by the Chinese regime put Chinese spokespersons in a difficult position. However, the Chinese analyst dismissed all of this as manipulation, claiming that these were baseless allegations aimed at tarnishing China's image and weakening the region's economy. He falsely stated that China welcomes visitors to so-called East Turkistan and that anyone who wants to visit the region can do so.

Uyghur journalist Mr. Abdulwarith rejected the Chinese claims, stating that the inhumane actions in East Turkistan have been substantiated by international reports, eyewitness accounts, and satellite imagery.

Mr. Abdulwarith pointed out that the Chinese regime has been imprisoning millions of people from all walks of life for years through its policy of detention camps and continues to hold them in undisclosed locations. He questioned the innocence of the hundreds of thousands of children who have been forcibly separated from their parents and "Sinicized" in so-called "boarding kindergartens." He asked, "What is the crime of an 80-year-old woman in the camp? Where are all the artists and academics, and what was their sin? The Chinese regime aims to eradicate anyone who identifies as Muslim or Uyghur."

Visitors are carefully selected by China.

Mr. Abdulwarith emphasized that the myth that East Turkistan is open to visitors is a complete falsehood: "Yes, it is open to visitors, but only to individuals meticulously chosen and invited by China. They take these visitors on guided tours through pre-prepared fake scenes to conceal their crimes and attempt to deceive the world with intense propaganda." He highlighted that pictures and videos disseminated to the world through various open channels are evidence of the genocide, contrary to China's propaganda.

The Chinese regime has its propagandists in some international media organizations. Facing Uyghurs in a similar conversation, as happened on Al Jazeera, is quite unusual. Programs like the one on Al Jazeera play a crucial role in accurately portraying and bringing the East Turkistan issue to the forefront of the Arab-Islamic world.