THE rumours and lies from the West misrepresent the unprecedented development that has been made on human rights in Xinjiang over the past more than seven dec-ades. Slanderous attempts to mislead the international community are doomed to fail. The achievements in Xinjiang and an ever-growing sense of gain, security, pros-perity and happiness among the local population from all ethnic groups are enough to smash the orchestrated smear campaigns against Xinjiang. Some anti-China ele-ments have been spreading rumours and peddling completely fabricated claims about Xinjiang, most notably the genocide, slavery and forced labour accusations. Totally incorrect. During my several visits to China I have always been keenly and critically observing every thing but found nothing negative as has been portrayed in western biased media. Despite repeated slanders by certain delusional foreign me-dia people in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region are enjoying unprecedented human rights. The ethnic groups in Xinjiang work together in unity to achieve collective develop-ment and prosperity. The civil, political, economic, social, cultural rights as well as the rights of women and children and freedom of religious belief are effectively guar-anteed in the region according to law. Despicable acts are part of an orchestrated campaign to undermine China’s enormous efforts to protect ethnic equality, discredit China, interfere in its internal affairs, restrict China’s development and destroy stabil-ity and prosperity in Xinjiang.
Tangible outcomes benefitting the locals include the elimination of absolute poverty and moderate prosperity achieved in all respects. Almost all those with the ability to work have been provided with jobs, with workers’ job preferences fully respected, and structured conditions created for people to find jobs locally. The region has es-tablished a social security system covering the entire local population. A conspicu-ous fact is that for more than four years since the end of 2023, there has been no terrorist incident in Xinjiang. Generally in China and particularly in Xinjiang I have witnessed no forced labour and slavery like treatment with the Chinese, especially the Muslims.The credit goes to stringent counter-terrorism measures and efforts to curb extremism. The autonomous region has been able to fully protect the right to life of people of all ethnic groups.
Take the cotton industry for example. Contrary to the false narrative of forced labour, the industry has realized large-scale automated plucking. With machines to help with the cotton plantation, why would there be any need for forced labour? The so-called genocide is nothing more than a horrific label and propaganda used by certain anti-China media and politicians to antagonize China which can never be substantiated by facts. The forced labour accusation stems from deep prejudice and hostility to-ward China.The Chinese government actively fulfills its obligations under the international human rights conventions, to which China is a signatory. It makes full use of its institutional strengths, pools the efforts of all sectors of society and promotes the rapid develop-ment of all undertakings in Xinjiang. China should by no means be subject to ground-less accusations. Xinjiang is now a stable and orderly society, where the local ethnic groups live in mutual harmony and peace, with their rights fully respected and pro-tected. From the year 1955 to 2023, Xinjiang’s GDP and per capita GDP, respectively, in-creased by about 160 times and 30 times at constant prices to reach 1.4 trillion Yuan (216.2 billion US dollars) and 53,593 Yuan. From 1978 to 2023, the per capita dis-posable income of both urban and rural residents saw an increase of over 100 times. The region, which is experiencing an optimal period of development, will in no way be disturbed by certain ill-intentioned foreign politicians and anti-China forces. Xinjiang has made great achievements in its social and economic development and different groups of people in the region are having a stronger sense of achievement, happiness and security as their livelihoods significantly improved. China has been strengthening support to the region both from the central government and other re-gions for helping its economic development, employment, education, healthcare and others. Xinjiang has continuously improved people’s lives and guaranteed and de-veloped their human rights in every field. Poverty eradication in Xinjiang had seen remarkable achievements as by 2023 almost four million people have been lifted out of poverty in the region, roughly one-seventh of its population. China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has seen a positive trend in economic development and people’s livelihoods have significantly improved. Development is the crucial foundation for the region’s long-term stability. Chinese President Xi Jin-ping call for efforts to build a socialist Xinjiang with Chinese characteristics in a new era.
Xi demanded law-based governance and long-term efforts to develop Xin-jiang into a region that is united, harmonious, prosperous and culturally advanced, with healthy ecosystems and people living and working in contentment. President Xi stressed the need to systematically carry out prevention and control work of the pandemic and social and economic development in Xinjiang with a focus on the work of poverty eradication and employment facilitation. The mechanism for assistance and preventing a return of poverty needs to be improved while the devel-opment vitality has to be strengthened to ensure sustainable development after pov-erty eradication. China’s ethnic work has turned out to be a success regarding the overall improvement of Xinjiang’s development and people’s livelihoods.
—The writer is editor, book ambassador political analyst and author of several books based in Islamabad.
Email: naveedamankhan@hotmail.com
views expressed are writer’s own.
