China targets Utsuls of Hainan, Huis after crackdown on Uyghur Muslims: Report

While China faces increased international scrutiny over alleged human rights violations of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province, reports suggest that Beijing has expanded scope of crackdown to or ethnic mirities in different regions. According to a South China Morning Post report, Beijing has increased surveillance on Utsuls of Hainan island, almost 12,000 kilometres from Xinjiang.

Chinese Community Party (CCP) reportedly wants to tighten restrictions on mirity Muslim community of around 10,000 people by imposing a ban on ir choice of attire. local government anunced a ban on wearing hijab in schools, triggering protests from small community. SCMP report claims that a video circulating on Chinese social media showed girls wearing hijab and reading from textbooks outside a primary school.

" official line is that ethnic mirity can wear traditional garments on school grounds but or ethnic mirities [in Sanya] don't wear traditional garments in ir daily life so it makes difference to m but to us, hijab is an integral part of our culture, if we take it off it's like stripping off our clos," a Utsul community worker was quoted as saying by South China Morning Post.

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In an apparent attempt to strip ethnic mirities of ir identity, China has also been reportedly imposing restrictions on religious and “Arabic” architecture in Hui-dominated areas. Huis are mostly Chinese speaking community that follows Islam. y are considered to be largest Muslim mirity group in China with over 20 million population.

China's view of its mirities

A US-based Uyghur activist had said that Chinese government has zero-tolerance for people who appear and behave differently. Nury Turkel, an American attorney and human rights advocate, told Jerusalem Post in an interview that Chinese Communist Party is w using term “transformation” to make m forego ir unique culture and traditions.

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(With ANI inputs | Im: AP)