Mareyam Turdi, Xinjiang Radio and Television Station

My name is Mareyam Turdi and I am now working as an editor at Xinjiang Radio and TV Station. Recently, before leaving office, Mike Pompeo staged his doomsday madness to deliberately slander and smear Xinjiang by making Xinjiang-related fallacies and fabricating political lies like a lunatic. As a Uygur born and bred in Xinjiang as well as a witness, a participant and beneficiary of the earthshaking changes of Xinjiang, now I declare my strong indignation and firm opposition to Pompeo’s shameless lies and despicable actions.

Pompeo framed policies of the Chinese government towards the Uygurs and other ethnic minorities as “crimes against humanity” and committing “genocide”. These are sheer lies, groundless accusation and deliberate smear of the Chinese governance of Xinjiang. Not long ago when I went back to my hometown Keping County of Aksu Prefecture, I paid a visit to my relatives and friends in Jastonkumarik Village, Yurqi Township. The country road has been transformed to hardened cement road, government-subsidized housing are provided for each household and natural gas and electric heating are accessible to all villagers. On-line courses are available at schools and medical services are provided by village infirmary with various medicines. Some villagers are farming, some are working in nearby factories and still some are running their own stores and restaurants. Everyone is busy with their job and strives for a better life. My nephews have bought their private cars; my elder brother has bought an apartment in the county and sometimes he goes back to the village to stay for a couple of days, fishing and planting vegetables, enjoying a better life even than urban residents. I also met my old neighbor Erken Abula, who used to live a hard life and now works in a nearby village, earning over 50 thousand yuan each year. All these facts prove that Pompeo’s smear and slander are nothing but groundless lies used to defame Xinjiang.

Pompeo aimed to make mischief among people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang with his fabricated lies. I grew up in a community with people of various ethnic groups like Han, Uygur and Hui. When I was in elementary school, my parents were so busy with summer harvest that we kids had to eat at our neighbors’ homes in turn. I had an infant name “Yaya” then, and so many years later, my childhood playmates still call me by that name. My workplace is also a big family consisting of colleagues of many different ethnic groups such as Han, Uygur, Kazakh, Mongol, Hui and Kirgiz. We make preparations for our topic selection, interview our guests and make programs together. Any time when we have difficulties, we always help each other. Pompeo’s slanderous remarks were nothing but mischief-making lies.

Today, with people of all ethnic groups receiving better education and the rights of medical care and endowment insurance fully guaranteed, Xinjiang is now in her prime time for a better and more prosperous future. All of these remarkable achievements would never have been made without the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, the vigorous support of all the Chinese people and the joint unity and struggle of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Mr. Pompeo, these are my own experiences and my own observations. Now let me tell you, facts brook no distortion! Your fabrication would never destroy the peace, ethnic unity and harmonious development of Xinjiang! With the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China, people in Xinjiang shall have a better and more prosperous future!