Dolkun Isa the head of the World Uyghur Congress, a Germany-based group representing the Muslim Uighur said the so-called “re-education” camps created by China to hold Uighurs are “21st-century concentration camps”. He told this during an interview with FRANCE 24. He also slammed Muslim countries for failing to speak out about the fate of China’s Uighurs.
Uighur minority live in western China. According to human rights groups, between one and three million people have been held in China’s internment camps since April 2017.
According to FRANCE 24, Dolkun Isa denounced the “physical and mental torture” and “brainwashing” endured by Uighurs in the camps. However, the Chinese government’s claim that these are aimed at fighting terrorism and providing training to the local population.
Brushing aside Chinese government claim, Isa asserted that the camps were part of a policy of “ethnic cleansing” and that the terrorist accusations by the government against him and other Uighurs were trumped up in order to quell dissent.
Speaking about international reactions, Isa said it is encouraging to note that several Western countries had recently called on Beijing to shut down the camps, but he regretted that US President Donald Trump had not brought up the issue in his meetings with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.
Disappointed by Muslim countries stance, he blasted Muslim countries for being largely “silent” over the fate of the Uighurs, saying it was a “shame” that they were unwilling to speak up to defend their fellow Muslims.