OWP, November 7 2024
A Uyghur woman spoke out about losing her land, only to be arrested shortly afterward. Since the 2000s, Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have implemented development measures to consolidate land ownership among agriculturalists, often at the expense of the local Uyghur community.
Belikiz, a 35-year-old woman from Astana village in Kumul, also known as Hami in Chinese, shared a video on Douyin, a Chinese video-sharing platform, expressing her anguish after authorities in Xinjiang confiscated her land, leaving her without a livelihood. “Even if the land was allocated to us by the government, we’ve invested 3-4 years cultivating it,” she said in the video.
“Why won’t the government advocate for us farmers? How are we supposed to sustain our livelihoods and send our children to school? Isn’t there a country that can support us? Is there no organization we can turn to for help?” she asked.
In an interview with Radio Free Asia, Zumrat Dawut, a former Uyghur internment camp detainee who was forcibly sterilized and now resides in the United States, expressed her admiration for Belikiz’s bravery. However, she also voiced concern about the potential repercussions Belikiz might encounter. “This woman has taken a tremendous risk to raise her voice,” she said. Belikiz was arrested in mid-April. Dawut urged human rights groups and Uyghur advocacy groups to monitor Belikiz’s situation.
In Xinjiang, authorities confiscate land and property from Uyghurs to facilitate development projects spearheaded by Han Chinese migrants. Those dispossessed of their land frequently find themselves without proper compensation or legal recourse due to collusion between local officials and developers. Uyghurs argue that these Han migrants have displaced them from their ancestral lands and stripped them of economic opportunities under the oppressive policies of Beijing.
China has a long history of establishing projects that, in reality, are ways to get rid of Uyghur culture. For instance, in 2009, government officials demolished Kashgar to modernize it and make it more tourist-friendly. Kashgar is a predominantly Uyghur area with a history that is deeply significant to Uyghur culture. Consequently, the demolition faced substantial backlash, with some viewing it as a deliberate attempt by China to suppress Uyghur culture. Furthermore, sometime in 2018, the tomb of Imam Je’firi Sadiq disappeared. For more than 450 years, Uyghurs made pilgrimages to this Mazar to pray and seek blessings. In the following two years, the Chinese state destroyed numerous Uyghur historical and holy sites, including mosques and Mazars, both being deeply significant to the Uyghur people. Most notably, the mass internment of Uyghurs has also been viewed as a method for China to silence the Uyghur population and eradicate their culture.
China continues to implement and follow past policies that harm the Uyghur community. Although many Uyghurs have fled, those remaining on their ancestral lands find it nearly impossible to sustain themselves and live without fear of the Chinese government.
Nothing has changed for the Uyghur people in Xinjiang; China has always maintained strict control over the region. The government’s policies have consistently aimed at assimilating the Uyghur population and suppressing their cultural and religious practices. Despite international condemnation, China has continued to implement measures that restrict Uyghur freedoms. Countries and international organizations should continue to apply diplomatic pressure on China to respect Uyghur rights and cease harmful policies.
