Over a million Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region of China have lived under inhumane conditions, with credible evidence of genocide. In 2018, Human Rights Watch published a report documenting mass human rights violations against the Uyghurs, including religious restrictions on Islam, mass surveillance, and restrictions on personal freedom. These atrocities fall within state policies, and yet the world watches in near silence. Families were held in re-education camps. Loved ones were torn apart, and Uyghur people were sterilized without consent.

How is it that global action is muted in the face of such overwhelming evidence? Although some human rights groups and governments, including the United States government, have voiced concerns about Uyghur rights and freedoms in Xinjiang, these crimes against humanity, which are well-documented, remain unresolved. The affected Uyghur people continue to live without justice. This collective silence is a calculated tool and a purposeful deflection by leading actors.

What is the Uyghur Genocide?

The Chinese government's actions in Xinjiang are not hidden or subtle. Since at least 2017, Uyghur Muslims have been detained in massive numbers in re-education camps. In 2022, the United Nations put out a report confirming with credible evidence that torture, forced sterilization, sexual assault, violence, as well as family separations, occurred in these camps. The camps not only detain people without due process but are also used to erase the culture, religion, and language of the Uyghur population. Beyond the walls of the camps, the Uyghur population is subjected to forced labor in inhumane factories that are tied to various global businesses and industries; companies include Nike, Apple, BMW, GAP, Amazon, and The North Face.

Survivor testimonies illustrate the same picture again and again: narratives of coercion, indoctrination, and repeated abuse. Documents leaked from the Chinese government showcase the "China Cables" that instruct officials to "never allow escapes," increase discipline and punishment, and "promote repentance." This report outright contradicts the narratives put forward by the Chinese government about the treatment of Uyghurs in the region. The Chinese government pushed the notion that these camps were positive social programs that provided vocational training. The Chinese government weaponized security rhetoric as a means to rationalize the vocational training programs; the implications of systemic Islamophobia by the Chinese government have led to the "war on terrorism.” Testimonies from survivors recall forced marches and acts of dehumanization, as well as physical and psychological abuse. 

In May of 2014, the Urumqi attack, in the Xinjiang region of China, saw two SUVs drive into a crowded market, then explode, killing at least 31 people and injuring almost 100 others. The Chinese government responded by launching a "Strike Hard" campaign against "violent terror" by arresting hundreds, and enacting sweeping security measures and mass surveillance efforts in the region. The Chinese government justified these measures as a “deradicalization campaign,” though many human rights organizations and news outlets labeled this as an effort to mask cultural genocide.  The actions of the Chinese government are not passive acts of oppression. This is a systematic, ongoing campaign to suppress an entire ethnic and religious population. 

Who is Silent and How is Silence Created?

Silence is not a singular moment and does not exist in a single instance. Silence is created and protected by powerful and influential global agents. Western governments have condemned the Uyghur oppression, notably the United States government. Even though the United States has passed legislative acts condemning China's treatment of Uyghur Muslims, business and trade continues with China. Western brands and industries such as Nike, Adidas, and Amazon, continue to sell items manufactured in these forced labor camps in the Uyghur regions. Some of these corporations have made statements issuing concern about the Uyghur population and faced severe backlash from the domestic Chinese population as a result. But why has further action and condemnation not happened? Because China, as an economic power, shapes what is politically acceptable. 

China accounts for 60 percent of the world's rare earth mineral sales and continues to be one of the top trading partners in 120 countries around the world. Condemning the Chinese government’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslims and speaking out puts countries at risk for economic retaliation. Following the United States' passage of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in 2021, China responded with a series of sanctions, threats, and trade restrictions, causing most other nations to walk back their concerns about China's treatment of the Uyghur population. 

Silence Discredits the Work of Resistance

Even though Western governments and global industries remain largely quiet about the Uyghur genocide, Uyghur activists risk everything to speak against it. Rushan Abbas is the founder of Campaign for Uyghurs and has spent decades raising awareness and pushing for change in Western countries for the recognition of the Uyghur genocide. Following the creation of the Campaign for Uyghurs, Abbas' sister was imprisoned in Xinjiang. Abduweli Ayup, a master's student at the University of Kansas in 2011, campaigned heavily for “Uyghur cultural and linguistic rights.” In 2013, he was detained and arrested for charges of illegal fundraising after selling honey and T-shirts to raise money for language centers. Many other activists live in exile and are removed from their families, who are still in re-education camps. 

Despite these efforts, international silence continues to discredit the activists. Such a lack of response from the world and the media implies that these testimonies are either exaggerated or not worth acting on. Silence isolates those who fight back and provides a cover for the systems that perpetrate atrocities and genocide. The silence is due, in part, to a lack of recognition. Uyghur activists are not only targeted by Chinese government officials, but they are also abandoned by the global community. 

Silence is Not Neutral

Silence surrounding the Uyghur genocide is a purposeful, deliberate act to continue ongoing atrocities in China for economic profit. This oppression has been constructed and enforced by global systems that put economic ties and political safeguards over human rights. Silence here is not due to a lack of documentation, but is a repercussion of the failure to take responsibility. 

If governments, global institutions, and industries refuse to confront this genocide, these agents and actors are not neutral; they are enabling the genocide. Systems must name the genocide and cut ties to forced labor. Corporations and governments must elevate the voices of Uyghur activists and individuals who work to amplify and showcase the ongoing atrocities. Silence is a refusal to act, and refusal to act enables atrocities. 

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are the author’s only and do not reflect an official position of the University of Minnesota, the Human Rights Program, or the College of Liberal Arts. As an institution of higher education that values and promotes free speech, civil discourse, and human rights we welcome a variety of perspectives and opinions from our student contributors that are consistent with these values.