Turkistan Times - 1 February 2026: The Magna Carta, a 13th-century manuscript revered as the foundational symbol of social justice and human rights, is currently being guarded by technology that stands in direct opposition to its values. At Salisbury Cathedral, one of the few surviving copies of this document is protected by surveillance cameras manufactured by the Chinese firm Dahua Technology. This partnership has sparked a fierce backlash from international human rights campaigners and security experts alike.
The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has voiced deep concern over this irony, noting that Dahua is heavily implicated in what they describe as "genocide and crimes against humanity." The organization highlights that Dahua’s facial recognition systems were specifically designed to identify and track the Uyghur population in East Turkistan. They expressed the pain felt by the community, stating, "It is particularly painful that the technologies of such companies are being used to protect one of the most prominent symbols of democracy and freedom."
According to a report by Rob Davies for The Guardian, published on January 31, 2026, the alarm extends beyond the borders of East Turkistan (frequently referred to as "Xinjiang" in the official Chinese contexts cited by the report). The investigation reveals that while these devices have been removed from sensitive UK government sites due to espionage fears, they remain in use at significant cultural landmarks like the Parthenon in Greece and Salisbury Cathedral.
The security risks are no longer theoretical. The Ukrainian organization "Don’t Fund Russian Army" provided evidence that similar cameras from Dahua and Hikvision were exploited by Russian forces during the invasion of Ukraine. Vulnerabilities in the software allowed hackers to access live feeds, identify Ukrainian air defense positions, and even broadcast missile strikes in real-time as part of psychological warfare.
Despite the UK government’s ban on these cameras in official buildings, Salisbury Cathedral has yet to commit to their removal, stating only that their suppliers are "regularly reviewed." For the Uyghur community and global activists, the continued presence of this technology at a site dedicated to freedom represents a moral failure to uphold the very principles the Magna Carta established eight centuries ago.
