Rape, sexual assault, and other forms of abuse. These horrific experiences occur daily to innocents trapped in China’s “reeducation centers”. If you have scrolled through social media, such as Instagram, Snapchat, or Tik Tok, you have most likely heard of the large-scale internment camps in China, imprisoning millions of Uighur Muslims. During her nine-month captivity period in a Uighur Muslim Concentration camp, Tursunay Ziawudun underwent unspeakable horrors. She was taken from her home and forced into an internment camp in the Xinjiang region of China, working to produce baubles for zero pay. Along with the horrendous working conditions, the soldiers patrolling the camp did unspeakable horrors to the women. Ziawudun recalls one of these experiences, remembering when many men took her into a black room and proceeded to rape her numerous times. To this day, she believes this was, “the most unforgettable scar on [her] forever.” The incident, however, was not isolated. She remarked that she was tortured and later gang-raped on three occasions, each time by two or three men. Eventually, Ziawudun fled from the captivity center, escaping through the numerous underground spaces thousands of others were held in. After receiving asylum, she struggled to assimilate into her new life, fearing a return to China and the harm she would undergo if she returned. Within these camps, prisoners, who have enforced manual labor jobs, are subjected to inhumane conditions, similar to Ziawudun, such as sexual assault, abuse, and occasionally death. These horrendous conditions must be publically addressed to ensure that innocents do not continue to suffer under an appalling regime.
While the exposition of internment camps in China is relatively new, the subjection of Uighur Muslims to inhumane conditions has been ongoing since 2017. Located in Xinjiang, China, these “reeducation centers” are a result of anti-muslim sentiment, which has spread across much of South East Asia for the past ten years. There has been a surge in the passage of regulations to prohibit Uighur Muslims from expressing themselves. For example, the Umrqui Act, which was approved in 2017, prohibits men from growing beards and women from wearing veils, burkas, and hijabs (Wood). To many individuals outside of the Muslim religion, such restriction may cause minimal destruction. However, to those within the Muslim community, head coverings, such as burkas and hijabs, are an essential part of their faith and identity. By restricting a large portion of the Chinese population from religious freedom, the Chinese government sought to start its campaign, promoting anti-Muslim sentiment against “terror attacks.” The continuation of acts led to the creation of internment camps used to restrict Uighur Muslim’s freedoms. Currently, there are over one million Uighurs imprisoned and 268 reported concentration camps. However, these numbers are drastically increasing as the need for cheap manual labor continues to skyrocket.
Although the internment camps are thousands of miles away from the United States, the implications of such horrendous camps affect those throughout the world. After the exposition of the concentration camps, China’s officials rushed to cover up the evidence. However, the world forum soon learned of the internment camps created and condoned by the Chinese government. The UN, along with 22 other countries (discluding the US), condemned China's actions, as stated by the New York Times. However, 37 countries, days after, commended China on their protection against “terrorism”. The mixed public reaction, specifically America's lack of condemnation of the situation, led many to question their position on the issue. With the fear of public outrage, the United States employed a policy that refused to trade with Xinjiang so long as forced labor was used(Whalen and Dou). The result of which was a drastic decrease in the US economic profit, considering a large proportion of goods are manufactured in China. Even though the economy took a setback, actions had to be taken against the appalling conditions Uighur Muslims were captive in. In conjunction with the US government taking measures against the concentration camps, large organizations, such as the NBA, began to fight against such injustices. The NBA removed support of basketball in regions where concentration camps were held (Bieler). However, fearing the repercussions of removing the NBA from Chinese networks, the NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, chose to continue the NBA’s relationship with the Chinese government and media. While the entire organization does not represent individual players’ reactions to the camps, it does show support over such a malicious act, especially to younger viewers of the NBA. The reaction at a national and international level presents the detrimental effects of the concentration camps on not only China but also the rest of the world.
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