Iliham Imin, Uygur Editorial Office, Xinjiang Daily

Putting on a ridiculous play of “Doomsday Madness” on the world stage, Mike Pompeo, the former US Secretary of State tossed his Xinjiang-related fallacies again and smeared Xinjiang fanatically. Ignoring the facts, he has attacked and deliberately discredited the human right conditions in Xinjiang and Chinese government’s strategy of governing Xinjiang, grossly interfering in China’s internal affairs and gravely violating the international laws and principles of international relations. His hegemonic ugliness and sinister motives, which were completely unmasked, would receive strong opposition and condemnation from Chinese people.

According to Pompeo, Xinjiang repressed ethic minority populations by practicing “mandatory sterilization” and committed “genocide” against Uygurs. This is sheer nonsense. In fact, the population of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang has continued to increase. According to statistics, from 2010 to 2018, ethic minorities population in Xinjiang grew from 12.9859 million to 15.8608 million, an increase of 2.8749 million, up 22.14%; the Uygur population grew from 10.1715 million to 12.7184 million, an increase of 2.5469 million, up 25.04%; the population of Han grew from 8.8299 million to 9.0068 million, an increase of 176,900, up 2.0%. The growth of Uygur people is not only higher than that of Xinjiang total population, but also higher than that of Xinjiang ethnic groups, and much higher than that of Han people in Xinjiang. My two children grew up happily in Xinjiang. Currently, my son has finished his college study and found a job. My daughter goes to college in shanghai. Before they were born, we had never taken any contraceptive measures, neither did my relatives or friends. To my knowledge, there was no such a thing called “mandatory sterilization” in Xinjiang. Have you ever seen a kind of “genocide” with rapid population rise? Sheer nonsense.

Pompeo also slandered that there is forced labor for ethnic minorities like Uygurs in Xinjiang, which is completely nonsensical. All laborers in Xinjiang, regardless of their ethnic identity, are free to choose their profession out of their own will. In accordance with the Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China and other laws and regulations, following the principle of equality and willingness, by signing employment contracts with employers, all laborers in Xinjiang enjoy complete freedom in employment and receive their due pay. In recent years, governments at all levels in Xinjiang spared no efforts in implementing a program named “employment benefiting livelihood”, actively fostering a favorable environment for employment, and creating conditions for laborers of all ethic groups to find satisfactory jobs. Today, laborers of various ethnic groups in Xinjiang are enjoying a secure and happy life.

Substantial changes have also taken place in employment, lifestyle and mentality of people in Xinjiang. We are getting richer, happier and more contented.

A couple of young men from Hotan are now living in my neighborhood. Working as security guards of the community, they love their job very much. Without a fixed job in their hometown, they used to earn a little money by taking some part-time jobs. Now with a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan, they can afford gifts for family during holidays and festivals, and even have their first deposits in bank. They are more than satisfied with their lives now. Nowadays, with the idea of “happy lives will be achieved through hard work” winning popular support, there will be more people like them creating better lives and contributing to our society through hard work. Do you call this “forced labor”? I must say, by attacking and smearing the employment in Xinjiang groundlessly, Mike Pompeo made him a despicable “rumormonger”.

Lies cannot cover up the fact just as dark clouds can’t hide the sun. Earthshaking changes have taken place in Xinjiang with unprecedented achievements made in social and economic developments and people’s livelihoods improvements. People of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are living a happier, safer and more fulfilled life, the last thing Pompeo and the like want to see. We have to keep alert to Pompeo’s sinister attempts to damage social stability and economic growth of Xinjiang by misleading international public opinions and sowing dissention among various ethnicities with his slandering and smearing of Xinjiang-related issues. We solemnly urge Pompeo to respect facts, stop fabricating lies or interfering with internal affairs of China.

The affairs of Xinjiang should be judged by people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The current favorable situation of social stability, prosperity and harmony in Xinjiang is hard-won and thus precious. I firmly believe that under the leadership of Communist Party of China, Xinjiang will be more prosperous and harmonious, with joint efforts of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Any attempts to separate China and damage ethnic unity will be subject to strong opposition from people of Xinjiang. Always being part of China, Xinjiang is bound to have a better tomorrow in the warm arm of her motherland.