Chinese State-run media reported 29 people infected with the virus in Uyghur region.but there is not any reports about the measure taken to protect more than 3 million people from the virus in these camps. Instead, local authorities have arrested 12 people on the charges of disclosing state secrets for just sharing posts about the virus.
This is a strong indication that China doesn’t care the lives of Uyghurs either in the camps or outside of the camps.
It’s obvious that the detainees have not idea that an epidemic virus is coming towards them.
No one can inform them about it or can’t try to save them from it.
From the historical and political perspective, we can understand easily why Chinese authorities are not concerning the safety of those people. Because China has been claiming that it has built these camps to counter terrorism and thus naturally it hopes to see eradication of those people by any measures.
Before the virus outbreak, Uyghur issue has been the biggest headache of the Chinese government. They also might choose to eliminate the headache under the name of natural disaster by not providing necessary measures to protect them or intentionally spreading the virus to them.
We have strong fear that China might use this virus to extinct Uighurs by targeting Uighurs with the virus.
Today, the lives of the 3 million detained depend on the efforts of international community. So I call on international community to take practical actions to save them. This is the time China realized that the lives of people is not internal affairs anymore. United States and other nations can take this opportunity to our pressure on China to release Uighurs in prisons and camps.
Rebiya Kadeer
The leader of Uyghur National Movement