Uyghurs In China

In recent months, the Chinese government has locked up over 1 million Uyghur and relocated them to internment camps. Uyghur are a Turkish ethnic group that lives in Xinjiang China. The Chinese government has banned the Uyghur language and monitors the population through DNA testing. The Chinese government argues that their actions are a “crackdown in response to the separatist movement in Xinjiang”. In contrast, Uyghur leaders have been arguing that the Chinese government’s actions are precursors to genocide.

After learning about the legal definition of a genocide let’s figure out if the Chinese government’s actions truly achieve the threshold of genocide. And if they don’t reach the threshold of genocide are their actions truly a precursor to Genocide.

The first requirement for a movement to be defined as genocide is that is must kill members of a specific group. In the interments camps, dozens of Uyghurs have died. Additionally, the Chinese government has caused serious bodily and mental harm to members of the Uyghur community. Another pillar for genocide is that there is a direct incitement to commit genocide. This piece is incredibly difficult to adjudicate as one has to prove intent. However, the Chinese government’s intent seems very obvious as they have relocated 1 million Uyghurs to internment camps. In these camps, there is a large emphasis on assimilation. One can argue that assimilation directly conflicts with genocide as they are trying to bring them into the community. However, Uyghur leaders suspect that they are using assimilation as a facade for their ulterior motives. More specifically, the Chinese government is working to diminish the Uyghurs religiosity since China is officially an atheist state. One can argue that they have freedom of religion in principle. However, the government works to limit religion when it hinders their authority.

The final pillar for genocide is that there is complicity. This has been displayed as they have been dehumanizing the Uyghurs while wiping “out all traces of what’s distinct about being an Uyghur”.

At the moment one can still debate whether the Chinese Government’s actions are actively perpetuating a full-blown genocide. However, the evidence is clear that they have the common precursors for a genocide. Overall, the Chinese government has been attempting to diminish the influence of Uyghurs by internment camps. Most importantly, they have been dehumanizing and vilifying the Uyghurs so that their acts go unquestioned.