Global blind spot: China’s Uyghur crisis and the smokescreen of anti-India propaganda

China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region is not news for anybody; however, Beijing’s crackdown techniques, honed in Xinjiang, are now being used against the larger Muslim populations in mainland China as well. The Hui, a significant Muslim minority in Yuxi, face increased scrutiny under China’s Sinification campaign including restrictions on religious practices and heightened surveillance, signalling an expansion of measures initially used in in Xinjiang.

In 2018, President Xi Jinping chaired the national conference on education, where he urged teachers to prioritise identification with the party among the national youth. “If the first button is wrongly buttoned,” he said, “all the remaining buttons will be wrongly buttoned. Life must be buttoned up right from the beginning.” China’s assimilation policy seeks to integrate ethnic minorities into Han Chinese culture. This involves removing halal signs, altering mosque architecture, and now, monitoring religious practices among Hui youth. The campaign aims to create a unified national identity by diminishing cultural and religious distinctions among minorities.

The Hui community, partly descended from Arab and Persian traders, speaks Mandarin and is racially indistinguishable from the Han majority. Despite their long history of assimilation, the Hui community, often considered China’s “model Muslim minority", find themselves at the epicenter of a nationwide Sinification campaign that started in 2016.

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During Ramadan this year, Muslims in Yuxi, China, received an alarming WeChat message from the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs. The notice authorised surveillance of fasting schoolchildren and instructed local authorities to investigate minors’ participation in fasting and other religious activities. “The Party Committee, governments, education, and sports bureaus of all levels should investigate the participation of minors in fasting and other religious activities,” the notice said. Yuxi’s notice reflects broader efforts to separate minority children from their cultural and religious heritage. Civil servants in Yuxi are forbidden from wearing headscarves, and veiled Hui teachers must submit new profile photos without headscarves. The policing of Islam in schools, under the guise of separating religion from education, restricts children from participating in religious retreats and activities. This surveillance and restriction have intensified since the 2014 knife attack in Kunming, linked to Uyghur separatists.

The history of religious persecution of Muslims in China is long and sordid, with the most severe measures being directed at the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has employed a range of tactics, from mass internment in so-called re-education camps to intrusive surveillance, forced labor, and even allegations of forced sterilization. The erosion of personal freedoms for Muslims in Xinjiang is not just a slow process; it is an aggressive, state-sponsored campaign to erase cultural and religious identity. Statistics reveal that over one million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained in these camps since 2017, where they are subjected to indoctrination, torture, and forced renunciations of their faith.

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China deflects discussion on this issue by leveraging its economic power. Through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, China has invested heavily in countries across Asia, Africa, and beyond, effectively buying silence from many Muslim-majority nations. Leaders of many Muslim countries and organisations like OIC are reluctant to criticize China due to the economic investments and trade relationships that are crucial to their national interests. This has led to a glaring hypocrisy where the Muslim world, quick to condemn Israel or India for perceived injustices against Muslims, remains conspicuously silent on China’s outright genocide and cultural eradication policies.

Western media, on the other hand, often focuses on portraying a narrative of Muslim victimhood in Hindu-majority India while largely ignoring the dire situation in China. This narrative fails to recognize that Muslims in India enjoy rights and freedoms, including the ability to practice their religion openly, vote, and hold public office, which are starkly absent for their counterparts in China. If a number of these ideologues spent a fraction of their energy that they spend on lecturing India into trying to corner China on international platforms, China might have had to consider amending its ways to some extent.

It makes for an important case study that the West i.e. US and its NATO Allies, want India to completely fall into its camp and forego its ties with Russia over events like Russia-Ukraine War; but at the same time, when China commits an aggression into the Indian territory, the Western world is hardly there to be seen backing India against the Chinese incursion. Diplomatic relations largely work on mutual interests and reciprocity, therefore, the West needs to understand that they cannot arm-twist a nation into doing their bidding, specially a nation as geo-politically impactful as India.

China’s heavy-handed tactics in Xinjiang are not solving the problem of radicalism or separatism; they are only going to fuel them. Yes, there is a problem of radicalism within the Muslim community, which sometimes manifests itself as demands for a separate nation, ruled by Sharia and just for the Muslim community. Over the past few decades, there have been several violent incidents attributed to Uyghur militants seeking independence or greater autonomy for Xinjiang, which they refer to as East Turkestan. One of the most notable examples is the 2009 Ürümqi riots, where ethnic clashes resulted in nearly 200 deaths and over 1,700 injuries. Another significant incident was the 2014 Kunming attack, where a group of knife-wielding Uyghur assailants killed 31 people and injured over 140 at a railway station. Additionally, the 2013 Tiananmen Square attack saw a vehicle driven by Uyghur extremists plow into a crowd, killing five and injuring 40. These acts of violence have been linked to groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which has been accused of orchestrating terror attacks and seeking to establish an independent state through militant means. The Chinese government cites these incidents to justify its harsh policies in Xinjiang, although it can be argued that these policies exacerbate rather than mitigate separatist sentiments.

Assimilation cannot be done by force. The policies of surveillance, cultural destruction, and religious persecution are more likely to breed resentment and resistance rather than loyalty. Instead of relying on repressive measures, China could adopt a more inclusive and conciliatory approach to address grievances in Xinjiang. This might include promoting genuine economic development and opportunities for Uyghur communities, fostering cultural and religious freedoms, and engaging in open dialogue with Uyghur representatives to address their concerns. Additionally, implementing community-based reconciliation programs and providing robust support for education and integration that respects ethnic identities could help mitigate radicalisation and foster long-term stability. By addressing underlying issues and promoting mutual respect, China could create a more harmonious environment that reduces the appeal of separatist and extremist ideologies.

The current strategy of brute force and cultural erasure is not only a violation of human rights but a misguided attempt to stifle dissent that only fuels extremism and resentment. The world must demand a radical shift: genuine dialogue, respect for cultural and religious freedoms, and a commitment to true economic and social inclusion. It’s time to expose the hypocrisy of global silence and the duplicitous narratives that distract from the real atrocities.

The international community must hold China accountable, not just with words but with concerted action that supports the Uyghur people’s right to live freely and with dignity. The future of millions hangs in the balance, and it is the world’s moral duty to stand against this monumental injustice and fight for a more equitable and humane global order.

The writer takes special interest in history, culture and geopolitics. The views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.