Uyghurs in US Hold Demonstrations as China Celebrates Independence

Washington, MINA – A group of Uyghurs and activists on Friday gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington, United States as China celebrated its independence day.

On Friday, October 1, 2021, marked the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China or China.

They demanded an end to the Chinese government’s cruel actions against the Muslim minority in Xinjiang, Anadolu Agency reported.

More than 100 activists wearing black shirts lined the area. They are Republican congressman Vicky Hartzler of Missouri, Democratic congressman Tom Suozzi of New York, Rabbi Jack Moline and Nury Turkel, vice chair of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF).

Hartzler said US companies doing business in China have an ethical and moral obligation to move their supply chains out of the Uyghur territory.

While Suozzi said he was with the Uyghurs “100 percent” against China’s “genocide”.

Activists are also demanding an end to the Uyghur concentration camps in Xinjiang province.

According to UN data, at least 1 million Uyghurs are held in what Beijing calls “vocational training centers” and what the international community defines as “re-education camps”.

China did not provide information on how many camps there are in Xinjiang, the number of people detained and how many have returned to social life.

Meanwhile, the United Nations and other international organizations reaffirmed calls for the camps to be opened for inspection. China only allows a few designated centers to be partially viewed by a small number of foreign diplomats and journalists.

Several countries accuse China of ethnically cleansing the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. However, Beijing denies the accusations as lies and a political virus. (T/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)