The Long-Arm of Authoritarianism (Genocide in the 21st Century: The Uyghur Crisis)

Dissidents and Dictators

The Long-Arm of Authoritarianism Moderator: Jenny Wang, Human Rights Foundation Panelists: Dr. Sean Roberts, Director of International Development Studies Program at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs Dr. Timothy Grose, Associate Professor of China Studies at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Alex Chow, Hong Kong activist and 2018 Nobel Peace Prize nominee What is unfolding in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (also referred to as East Turkestan) is considered one of the worst human rights abuses in the world today. The Uyghur Region — known as the Xinjiang province in China — is often referred to as a dystopian surveillance state and an open-air prison. The actions of the Muslim minorities living in the region are heavily monitored through cell phone applications, frequent home inspections, and an array of checkpoints throughout the region. Anywhere from 1 to 3 million people, including Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Tajiks, and other ethnic minorities, are forcibly confined to the Uyghur Region by the Chinese government — simply because they speak a different language, practice religion, and embrace a different culture. Within these concentration camps built by the Chinese government, Uyghurs are forced to take “re-education” courses, and are subject to mental & bodily harm and torture. In many cases, they are coerced and trafficked into state-sponsored forced labor schemes to ramp up production in factories across the country.