Yasen Aimaier，Religious Personnel, Yongkutuanjie Village, Qiman Township, Kuche City, Aksu Prefecture

My name is Yasen Aimaier, one of religious personnel. Earlier I know that Pompeo is notorious for his sheer lies. During his tenure in the past few years, he viciously smeared Xinjiang, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government bringing us a happy life. On January 19, 2021, he falsely alleged that “China committed crimes against humanity and genocide against Muslim Uyghurs and other members of ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang”. It is pure nonsense. As religious personnel, I am strongly indignant and opposed to it.

As a native in Xinjiang, I have personally felt and witnessed the earthshaking change in Xinjiang since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. I have experienced the ethnic solidarity and harmony on the basis of respecting and protecting the rights of all ethnic groups. The village where I’m living used to be called Momatiereke Village, a multi-ethnic village with five ethnic groups. Under the leadership of CPC, Ningbo City of Zhejiang Province has helped our village to build spacious and beautiful houses for low-income residents and develop poverty-alleviating industries like red dates, muskmelons, walnuts and animal husbandry. Nowadays, our village has become a national 3A scenic spot. Some villagers working outside have come back to the village, develop folk tourism and earn a living by it. In recent years, our village has become increasingly beautiful and we have made more and more money. We change the name of our village into Tuanjie Village, meaning that villagers of all ethnic groups, whether religious believers or non-religious believers, respect each other, help each other and live in harmony and happiness as members in one big family.

All the rights of Muslims are guaranteed comprehensively. Over the past few years, the local government has invested in improving the environment and condition of mosques. The venues for religious activities have been equipped with bathing equipment, flushing toilets, libraries, air conditioners and heating systems. As religious personnel, I enjoy favorable policies for health care, old age, critical disease and personal accident respectively. Religious personnel also enjoy annual free physical examination and living allowances granted by the Communist Party and government. Besides, during the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the local government provides us with face masks, disinfectants and other prevention supplies while attending religious activities.

Pompeo spread rumors of “genocide” to slander China. The Uyghur population in our village increased by 2.5 times, from over 750 with 150 households to 1,880 with 421 households. Where does “genocide” come from? The children enjoy free education and food subsidies from kindergarten to high school. Preferential policies are implemented to develop grain and cotton growing, forestry, fruit industry and animal husbandry. Nowadays, each family in my village has a color TV, a refrigerator and a washing machine. Almost everybody has a mobile phone. Some families have one or two cars. All the impoverished residents have shaken off poverty. I may well ask Mr. Pompeo, where does “genocide” come from?

Facts are more eloquent than words. All the lies are ill-founded. Mr. Pompeo, you spread so many venomous lies in order to put our nation in disorder and split Xinjiang out of our great nation. A liar’s words are sheer lies. The people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are very clear about all your evil acts. The more discord you sow, the more united we are. We will never be tricked and your conspiracy is doomed to failure.