Tuerxuntuoheti Atawula, Xinjiang University

On January 19, 2021, Mr. Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State issued a statement, announcing that the United States officially recognized that China had committed “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” against Uygur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Pompeo’s so-called accusation is just a ridiculous lie. In our view, it is just a piece of waste paper. his purpose is to deliberately slander the situation of human rights in Xinjiang, and wantonly discredit Xinjiang’s efforts to eradicate extremism and combat terrorism, in attempt to interfere in China’s internal affairs and hinder China’s development. As a native Uygur teacher in Xinjiang and as a participant, witness, and beneficiary of Xinjiang’s social stability and development, I strongly condemn and firmly oppose Pompeo’s vicious behavior.

I was born in a remote and backward area in Hotan. When I was a child, I lived in a compound characterizing ethnic unity like a big family. My neighbors included many ethnic groups, such as Uygur, Kazak, Han and other ethnic workers. One of my neighbors was a Han family. There were two sons in the family and I often played with them. I learned Chinese from them and they learned Uygur language from me. There was no barrier between us. Friendly relationship developed between us. Since the founding of new China, especially since the reform and opening up, I have witnessed great changes in my hometown. I am still deeply impressed by one thing that took place when I was in junior high school. It was a weekend when my father took one of his colleagues and me to visit my grandfather who lived in the countryside. With a newly bought tape recorder, my father's colleague recorded my grandfather’s views about the new social life. At that time, my father asked my grandfather, “Which is better？The life before the founding of new China or the life after the founding of new China?” My grandfather replied, “It’s needless to ask such a silly question. Of course, the life after the founding of new China is better.” My grandfather also told us a lot about his miserable life he experienced before the founding of new China. The personal experience of both my grandfather and my father truly reflects the great changes that have taken place in Xinjiang. Later, I went to university and was selected to work in my university after graduation. Every time I went back home, I was very happy to see the great changes the reform and opening up policy had brought to my hometown.

The Chinese government has issued eight Xinjiang related white papers, and the government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has held 24 press conferences which use a large number of detailed figures and cases through investigation, showing to the world that the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are enjoying a happy life and working in peace, unity and harmony. The languages, traditional culture and customs of the ethnic minorities in Xinjiang have been well protected and inherited, and the people of all ethnic groups fully enjoy the rights of survival and development.

In 2019, Xinjiang received more than 200 million domestic and foreign tourists. More than 1200 diplomats, journalists and representatives of religious groups from more than 100 countries have visited Xinjiang. While enjoying the beautiful scenery of Xinjiang, they witnessed the unity, harmony, joy and peace enjoyed by all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. The government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region protects the rights of workers in accordance with the law. They try every means to create employment opportunities for the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, encourages, helps and supports them to constantly improve their financial condition through scrupulous work, extricating themselves from poverty for a better-off life with their own hands, and achieves a decisive victory in terms of poverty alleviation. This is obvious to all and can be felt by anyone with conscience.

At the very time when we have accomplished significantly in the field of social stability, improvement of people’s livelihood, economic development, and ethnic unity in Xinjiang, Pompeo issued the statement, with a sinister intention and hidden political purpose to undermine the social stability of Xinjiang and hinder China’s development. There has been no violent terrorist cases in Xinjiang for more than four consecutive years, and the right to life and property of the people of all ethnic groups have been guaranteed to the greatest extent, which is the real sense of human rights. Ignoring the development and progress of Xinjiang, the United States has repeatedly used Xinjiang related issues to make accusations and slander against China, fully exposing its bandit logic and hegemonic nature.

The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang will never allow Pompeo and his gang to talk wantonly on the Xinjiang issue. All kinds of lies and pernicious falsifications he spread will be swept into the garbage heap of history with him. Sooner or later, Pompeo will be brought to a historical trial, and the final judgment will give him a just punishment he deserves.