Release Uighurs, shut down detention camps, NGO tells Beijing

A police patrol crosses the square in front of the Id Kah Mosque in the old city of Kashgar, Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, China on March 22, 2017. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA: An Islamic NGO has called on China to release the minority Uighur Muslims being held in detention camps in Xinjiang and to close all such centres as the republic celebrates its 70th anniversary today.

Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) secretary-general Muhammad Faisal Abdul Aziz said the issue had undermined global confidence in Beijing’s ability to uphold human rights.

“The atrocities committed against the Uighur ethnic group in the detention camps go beyond the norms of humanity and result in psychological stress, depression and trauma among these ethnic people,” he said in a statement, adding that the Uighurs were prevented from contacting their families and travelling freely.

He also urged Malaysians to reject any justification of Beijing’s treatment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang.

“Abim strongly implores the Malaysian government and the Muslim world to continue increasing political pressure so that the atrocities against the Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang cease and their release from detention camps is achieved.”

The NGO’s call comes days after Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Putrajaya did not want to take a confrontational stance towards China over its alleged mistreatment of Uighur Muslims.

In an interview with BenarNews, he cited China’s might as the reason the country did not speak out against Beijing.

“You don’t just try and do something which would fail anyway, so it is better to find some other less violent ways not to antagonise China too much because China is beneficial for us,” he said.

The United Nations says at least one million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained in what China describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out extremism and equip people with new skills. - FMT