Bumaryam, Teacher at the College of Cultural Arts of Xinjiang Arts University

The other day, the former US Secretary of State Pompeo released a Xinjiang-related statement, ignoring the reality, distorting the facts, vilifying Xinjiang’s human rights issues, smearing Xinjiang and the happy life of its people. His despicable intention was to undermine Xinjiang’s stability and disrupt its development.

I am Bumaryam, a teacher at the College of Cultural Arts of Xinjiang Arts University, also a mother of two children. My husband has been dispatched to a village in southern Xinjiang as part of a work team. We live in Urumqi, where people live and work in peace and contentment and enjoy social stability. As a native resident of Xinjiang and a university teacher, also being a witness and beneficiary of Xinjiang’s stable development, I firmly reject and strongly condemn Pompeo’s ugly behavior as it is blatant interference in China’s internal affairs, and a serious violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations. There is no space for them to make groundless accusations against Xinjiang’s development and human rights issues; only Xinjiang people of all ethnic groups and socioeconomic achievements are qualified to judge Xinjiang.

I have been living in an ethnic unity neighborhood since I was a kid. We have neighbors from different ethnic groups, like Uygur, Han, Kazakh, Hui, Xibe, Mongolian etc. We get along with each other very well. We play, study together; celebrate holidays together… Some of the Han girls later have become my besties. We often hang out, party and share each others’ secrets. I remember that when I was small, my Putonghua was poor, had difficulties keeping up with my study. So, every day after school, I went upstairs to mother Li’s home so that she could instruct me with my writings. She is a good friend of my mother; she knew me since I was a little kid, so I called her mother Li, and she called me daughter. Thanks to her help and instruction, my Putonghua and writing skills improved significantly, received good marks on all subjects, and enrolled in one of the best middle schools in the city. After school, I went to Shanghai Jiaotong University to study. Moving from Xinjiang to inland China, my horizon has been broadened, my circle has widened. I turned to other brilliant students for help or counseling, so that I could evaluate my own advantages and weak points, planning my own future.

Pompeo smeared that there is “forced labor” in Xinjiang, which is nonsense. Xinjiang prioritizes employment as the key livelihood improvement project, implementing various measures, assisting people of all ethnic groups with employment to the maximum extent, so that they can live a happy life. Xinjiang guarantees labors’ relevant rights, strictly upholding “Labor Law of the People’s Republic of China”. Labors of all ethnic groups sign work contracts with enterprises voluntarily on the basis of equality and willingness in accordance with law. They are free to choose their job location and earn salary. How come “forced labor” be possible? Pompeo lied that Xinjiang “is curbing population of ethnic minorities and executing genocide against Uygurs”. His lies are totally groundless fabrications and they expose his despicable character. Xinjiang is implementing family planning policy in accordance with law as population of ethnic minorities, including Uygurs, is consistently increasing. From 2010 till 2018, increase rate of Uygur population is higher than that of Xinjiang’s total population, and also higher than that of Han population. With living standards enhancing, people of all ethnic groups have become better educated and many of them have decided to get married and give birth at later age; they are free to choose any safe, effective and suitable contraceptive measure. There is no such thing as “forced sterilization”. Pompeo slandered Xinjiang’s religious freedom, neglecting truths, making groundless accusations. I don’t know on what basis Pompeo, the odious politician, labeled the “crimes against humanity” accusation.

Today’s Xinjiang is in the best phase of prosperity in its history. People live and work in peace and contentment, fully enjoying basic rights like right to subsistence and development. Being a Xinjiang resident, I am a witness and beneficiary of Xinjiang’s prosperity. I am proud of my great motherland.