On Jan. 23, Chinese state media announced the first confirmed infections in the XUAR—two men who had previously traveled to the epicenter of the virus, Hubei province’s Wuhan city—and by Wednesday at least 59 people have been infected, while more than 4,100 are under medical observation in the region after exhibiting symptoms associated with the virus
The new policy has forced the 100-odd members of the Uyghur diaspora in Saudi Arabia to make a choice between returning home, where they are likely to be accused of harboring “strong religious views” and detained, or remain where they are, under constant threat of deportation because of their illegal status
On Jan. 23, Chinese state media cited local health authorities in the XUAR as saying that a 47-year-old man identified by the surname Li and a 52-year-old man identified as Gu had been confirmed infected by the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Both had been to Hubei’s capital Wuhan, where the virus is believed to have been first transmitted to humans
Authorities in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region have held up to 1.5 million Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities accused of harboring “strong religious views” and “politically incorrect” ideas in internment camps since April 2017
Muhammad, who lives in exile in Boston, recently spoke with RFA’s Uyghur Service to explain how she had learned of Ayup’s detention, as well as the efforts she has since made to determine where he is and if he is still living
Mass incarcerations in the XUAR, as well as other policies seen to violate the rights of Uyghurs and other Muslims, have led to increasing calls by the international community to hold Beijing accountable for its actions in the region
Eli Abdulla, the CEO of Xinjiang Yu Cheng (Jade City) Real Estate Development Ltd.—a company based in the XUAR capital Urumqi that deals in real estate, development, and rentals, as well as the sale of construction materials, chemicals, electronics and mechanical equipment—went missing in mid-2016
Uyghurs in exile say that the charges against Ayup and his partners were politically motivated, after the U.S.-educated linguist’s essays and lectures on maintaining the Uyghur language in schools drew widespread support in China’s Uyghur community
Mass incarcerations in the XUAR, as well as other policies seen to violate the rights of Uyghurs and other Muslims, have led to increasing calls by the international community to hold Beijing accountable for its actions in the region
As a cofounder of the Students Cultural Scientist Union at Xinjiang University along with WUC President Dolkun Isa, Ababekri organized a June 1988 student protest in reaction to Chinese discrimination against Uyghurs, which also called for an end to nuclear tests in the XUAR, democratic elections, and the halt of mass migration of majority Han Chinese to the region, the WUC said in a statement on Nov. 27