China intensifies oppression of Muslim Uighurs

Uighur men exit the Idkah Mosque after prayers in Kashgar during the ongoing holy month of Ramadan, China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, 13 October 2006
The Uighurs, with around 10 million members the second largest Muslim population group after the Hui among the 23 million Muslims in China, have long been targeted by the communists (image: picture-alliance/dpa)

The autonomous region of the Muslim Uighurs in China is making the free practice of religion more difficult with new rules. A regulation issued by the "Standing Committee of the Xinjiang People's Congress" prohibits organisations and individuals from spreading religious extremism and terrorism, reported the Chinese state portal "Global Times" on 5 January. The undermining of national unity, the disruption of social order and obstruction in the name of religion in administration, justice, education and other state systems are also prohibited.

According to the new regulation, religious schools must "follow the path of Chinese characteristics" in their educational approach, according to the report. Sinicisation also affects architecture. In future, newly built, renovated or expanded religious sites would have to reflect Chinese style characteristics in architecture, sculpture, painting and decoration, for example. "Xinjiang is experiencing the presence of violent terrorism that uses religion as an instrument," it said. Unnamed "experts" told the Global Times that the new regulation takes into account the freedom of religion guaranteed in China's constitution.

The Uighurs, with around 10 million members the second largest Muslim population group after the Hui among the 23 million Muslims in China, have long been targeted by the communists. The Turkic people live primarily in the autonomous province of Xinjiang (East Turkestan) in north-west China.

Since President Xi Jinping ordered the "Sinicisation" of religions in 2016, Christians and Muslims in particular have been under observation. Based on satellite data, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) estimates the number of destroyed or damaged mosques in Xinjiang at 16,000, 65 percent of all Islamic places of worship. The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination recently demanded that China immediately investigate alleged human rights violations against Uighurs in Xinjiang. There is talk of torture, abuse, sexual violence, forced labour, enforced disappearances and death in custody.

China has been pursuing Sinicisation in Tibet since its annexation in the 1950s. Since 2022, Chinese authorities have been exerting increasing pressure on Buddhist monks in Tibet to renounce the Dalai Lama as their supreme spiritual leader.    (KNA)