HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Assimilation of 1949
December of 1949 marked the assimilation of East Turkestan into China. With the passing of time, the abusive control that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) exerted over Xinjiang (East Turkestan) only grew, in terms of both cultural and physical repression.
East Turkestan, later renamed Xinjiang by the CCP, extends over an area of almost one million square miles with which it borders eight different countries, including India, Russia, and Pakistan. The land itself is fruitful and abundant in natural resources, with terrain ranging from towering mountains ample in rare minerals to ever-expanding dunes of golden sand brimmed with banks of natural oils. The territory’s copious amount of assets however have proven to be more of a curse rather than a blessing as they have caused East Turkestan to be targeted by the CCP due to the area’s value and financial worth.
CURRENT CRISIS
In late 2016, the construction of Nazi-style concentration camps began. The number of innocent Uyghurs within the camps is estimated to be between three to five million. Within the detention camps, victims are subject to inhumane hygienic conditions and severe forms of physical, psychological, and emotional torture varying from mass systematic rape, beatings, electrocution, waterboarding, illegal medical experiments, and indoctrination. Prisoners are forced to denounce their identity, their religion, and their culture and are instead forced to swear their loyalty to the CCP.
FOR MORE INFO
To learn more about the Uyghur Crisis and how to help please visit the resources provided below.