Stern Statement by the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompoe’s Falsehoods about Xinjiang

January 23, 2021

A few days ago, U.S. former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made up “the lie of the century,” falsely accusing Xinjiang has committed “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” against Uygurs and other ethnic minorities. Such of his practices has severely trampled on international law and norms governing international relations, interfered in China’s internal affairs, and hurt the feelings of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang strongly condemn and oppose it.

As U.S. former Secretary of State, Pompeo was supposed to behave and act in a manner that should correspond with the country he represents and the high office he hold. However, he, demonstrating no sense of shame, unexpectedly took pride in his shocking lines of “we lied, we cheated, we stole” as creed. Guided by such evil thoughts, Pompeo has been making lies, exerting pressure on others and practising bullying every corner he goes, which has brought about too much trouble to the world. Obsessed with his personal interests, Pompeo has turned a blind eye to the country’s soaring coronavirus infections and deaths that top the world, and totally ignored the angry calls of the “I cannot breathe”Americans. He has brought too much suffering to the U.S.. With his blatant lies, Pompeo has vilified the policies in Xinjiang as “suppression of Uygurs,” “forced labor,” “prosecution of Muslims,” and “genocide,” etc., furthering his smear campaign against Xinjiang. Pompeo, a politician desperate to see the world plunge into chaos, is surely be despised by people around the world, detested by the American people, and be spurned by people of all ethnicities in Xinjiang. Ending up being hated by everyone, Pompeo has nobody to blame but himself, for he has made it.

So-called Xinjiang-related issues in essence are not about ethnicity, religion and human rights, but about counter-terrorism, anti-separatism, and deradicalization. Upholding the principles of rule of law, people-first and equality among all ethnic groups, Xinjiang never targets counter-terrorism and deradicalization with any ethnicity, religion or locality, and there has been no so-called “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” in Xinjiang.The Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have stipulated and revised several local regulations, such as the Measures of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Implementing the Counter-terrorism Law of the People’s Republic of China,the Regulations of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Deradicalization, the Regulations on the Work Concerning Spoken and Written Languages of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, the Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Administration of Muslim Food and the Regulations of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on Population and Family Planning, to ensure Xinjiang’s counter-terrorism and deradicalization work follow the law.

Over the years, in response to the grave and complicated situation of frequent terrorist activities, we learned from experiences of anti-terrorism and deradicalization of international community, to provide legal weapons to contain and crack down terrorism and extremism. Upholding the principle of fighting and preventing terrorism at the same time, we have been taking aggressive action against violent terrorist crimes, and at the same time, addressing the problem at its source. The autonomous region established vocational education and training centers in accordance with the law to carry out preventative counter-terrorism and deradicalization work, to educate and rehabilitate people influenced by religious extremism and involved in minor violations of the law. No terrorist incidents occurred in the last over 4 years in Xinjiang and the aspiration of all ethnic groups for peaceful and stable living has been realized. We take the facilitation of employment as the most fundamental project for ensuring and improving people’s wellbeing, and have made every effort to increase and stabilize employment through various channels. We follows strictly the Labour Law of the People’s Republic of China and other laws and regulations, to guarantee workers’ right to remuneration,to rest and leisure, to occupational safety and hygiene, and to social insurance and welfare. We has won the war against poverty,eliminated poverty in 3,666 poverty-stricken villages and 32 towns, lifted 3.0649 million of people out of poverty, with the complete realization of “two no worries and three guarantees”, i.e. no worries on food and clothing. We carry out family planning policy in according to law, and, over the years, the region’s total population, ethnic minority population and Uygur population have sustained stable growths, while the Han population has registered a slight increase. Among them, Uygur population growth rate was not only higher than the growth rate of the region’s overall population, but also higher than that of ethnic minorities and far higher than Han’s. We fully implement the system of regional ethnic autonomy, the rights of people of all ethnic groups to equally participate in the management of state affairs are protected by law. The customs and fine traditions of all ethnic minorities are protected, developed and inherited according to law. All ethnic groups have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages. Ethnic minority languages are extensively used in such areas as judicature, administration, education, press and publishing, internet, and public affairs. People’s right to religious belief is fully guaranteed. Normal religious activities were carried out. We have improved the conditions of religious places such as mosques. Believers could carry out religious activities much more conveniently. Xinjiang Islamic Institution and its eight branches were built. Besides, there is one Islamic Scripture School. We have translated and published religious texts including the Koran and Irshad al-Sari li Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari in Chinese, Uygur, Kazak and Kirgiz languages. These measures have broaden the ways for believers to get religious knowledge thus guaranteed the inheritance of Islam in an orderly manner.

Many countries and the fair-minded in the world have made positive comments on Xinjiang's measures. Since 2018, some 1,200 people have visited Xinjiang. They include UN officials,foreign diplomatic envoys to China, Geneva-based senior diplomats of various countries, as well as more than 80 groups (or delegations) of people from political parties, civil society organizations, news media, and religious organizations of various countries. In March, 2019, the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation adopted a resolution commending China's efforts in providing care to its Muslim citizens. In July, 2019, Geneva-based representatives from more than 50 countries had sent letters jointly to UN human right council and the High Commissioner for Human Rights making positive comments on China’s anti-terrorism and deradicalization work in Xinjiang. In October, 2019 , more than 60 countries made statements on the Third Committee of the 74th UN General Assembly, praising significant progress on human rights in Xinjiang, China. In July, 2020, the UN human Rights Council hold its 44th meeting in Geneva.46 countries jointly voiced support for China’s position, measures and effects with regard to Xinjiang related issues. In September, 2020, on the 45th session of Human Rights Council, representatives of many countries supported China’s Xinjiang policies in speech. In October, 2020, speaking at the General Debate of the Third Committee of the 75th UN General Assembly, nearly 50 countries supported China’s measures in Xinjiang. In October, 2020, delegation of the diplomatic envoys of Arabic countries and the representative office of the Arab League visited Xinjiang. They spoke highly of Xinjiang’s achievement in terms of anti-terrorism, deradicalization, freedom of religious belief, economic developments and people’s livelihoods.

Facts speak louder than words, while Pompeo turns a deaf ear to it. His statements are ridiculous under their solemn covers. It’s nothing but an indelible stain on his notorious “diplomatic legacy”. We’d like to solemnly inform Pompeo that your false labels like “crimes against humanity” and “genocide” on Xinjiang will finally fall on yourself. Please take these labels home for introspection. The development and progress in Xinjiang can never be stopped by any anti-China forces!