Published 19:26 IST, October 7th 2019
Disturbing video from Xinjiang shows hundreds of blindfolded prisoners
In a disturbing video that has been shared on YouTube, drone footage hundreds of blindfolded and shackled Uyghur prisoners being led from a train in Xinjiang
The ongoing crackdown on Uyghur Muslims, a minority ethnic group, has become more worrisome after drone video of hundreds of blindfolded men being led from a train surfaced. In the video posted by an anonymous account named ‘War on Fear’, hundreds of blindfolded men can be seen sitting in the courtyard outside a train station with their heads shaved and hands tied behind their back. They were then escorted by police officers in SWAT uniform to some other location which has not been captured in the video.
Video blames China for human rights violations
The anonymous YouTube account claimed that the video was taken in China and blamed the Chinese government for long-term suppression of human rights and fundamental freedom in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. “Our aim is to fight fear. The people of today's society always live under the supervision of the government with high technology. People lose their freedom,” the account wrote along with the shared video. The account also accused the leaders of the Communist Party of China of only loving the party and power but not the people.
The US criticised Pakistan at UNGA
In September, the United States had criticised Pakistan at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for not highlighting the "horrific conditions" of the Muslim community in China. China has been accused of detaining around one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in the Xinjiang province. “I would like to see the same level of concern also expressed about Muslims who are being detained in Western China, literally in concentration-like conditions,” said Alice Wells, US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia to media. “And so being concerned about the human rights of Muslims does extend more broadly than Kashmir, and you've seen the administration very involved here during the UN General Assembly and trying to shine a light on the horrific conditions that continue to exist for Muslims throughout China," she added.
World Uyghur Congress blames Imran Khan
The World Uyghur Congress had also blamed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for not acknowledging the plight of the minority community of China. "A couple of months ago, international journalists asked him about this (Uyghur issue) several times, but he said that he doesn't know and is not aware of it. Pakistan Prime Minister very well knows what the Chinese government is doing to Uighur Muslims but he doesn't want to talk on this," said Dolkun Isa, the organisation's president.
(With Inputs from Agencies)
Updated 22:32 IST, October 7th 2019