Yilihamu, Head of the United Front Work Department, CPC Qitai County Committee

Pompeo’s fallacies concerning Xinjiang ignore the facts and are extremely ridiculous! As a native Uyghur in Xinjiang, I have witnessed the rapid economic and social development of Xinjiang. As a Party member and cadre in the United Front Work Department, I deeply feel that the Party and government fully respect and safeguard citizens’ right to freedom of religious belief, and protect normal religious activities in accordance with the law. I feel that I have the responsibility, obligation and voice to refute Pompeo’s despicable acts with my own experience of learning, growth and work.

I was born in a cadre family in Jimsar County. My father was a cadre of the County government and my mother was a primary school teacher. I remember that as a little child, we lived in a bungalow. At that time, our neighbors and my parents’ colleagues and friends were of various ethnic groups including Han, Hui, Kazakh, etc. While observing the Spring Festival, the Corban, the Mid-Autumn Festival and other traditional festivals, everyone ate together, shared happiness and congratulated each other. Like members of a big family, they helped each other, without any ethnic distinction and estrangement. This situation is the most common in all parts of Xinjiang. Under the guidance of my parents and teachers, I have a good family and school education. After graduating from college, the state assigned a job to me. With the careful training of the Party organization, I gradually grew into a Communist Party member and cadre. I unswervingly believe that without the Communist Party and the great motherland, without the CPC Central Committee’s good policies towards Xinjiang and its ethnic minorities, there would be no development and prosperity in Xinjiang today, let alone my personal growth and progress.

I have been engaged in ethnic and religious work for many years. What I have learned most is that the conditions of venues for religious activities have been greatly improved over the years and the normal religious needs of religious believers have been fully guaranteed. Religious personnel are offered free physical examinations, visits and greetings every year. All religious personnel are very grateful to the great Party and the great motherland from the bottom of their hearts. Especially in recent years, the whole Xinjiang has vigorously carried out the activity of “Family of Ethnic Unity”. The majority of Party members and cadres have paired up with families of Uyghur groups as friends and relatives. They sincerely care for and help their relatives. The cadres and masses of all ethnic groups take good care of ethnic unity as we take care of our own eyes, cherish ethnic unity as we cherish our own lives and embrace each other as if we were the seeds of a pomegranate. The Party’s ethnic policies have taken root among the cadres and the masses. The sense of gain, happiness and security of the masses of all ethnic groups have been significantly enhanced. The Party and state’s ethnic policies have been wholeheartedly supported by the masses of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang. Seeing the good overall situation of ethnic solidarity and social progress in Xinjiang, Pompeo is like a clown jumping up and down, trying to sow discord with some despicable tricks. This sinister intention will not succeed, and we will never agree!

During the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, the Chinese government puts people and life first and takes resolute, scientific and decisive measures to protect the safety and health of all people including Uyghurs to the greatest extent possible. I strongly feel the great strength of our country and the warmth of the big family of the Chinese nation. All those infected with the coronavirus have got free treatment despite their diversified ethnic backgrounds. A universal nucleic acid testing is conducted for free regularly. Party organizations at all levels unite and lead the vast number of Party members, community cadres and volunteers to charge ahead, brave difficulties and dangers, do good deeds and remove difficulties for the masses of all ethnic groups. On the contrary, Pompeo is indifferent to the pandemic situation in US, regardless of the life safety of the American people. What qualifications does Pompeo have to attack and badmouth China?

As the old Uyghur saying goes, never meddle in others’ family affairs. I would like to warn Pompeo to take care of his own family’s affairs, not to interfere in China’s internal affairs and not to talk sheer nonsense about Xinjiang. Today’s Xinjiang is not what it was a hundred years ago. How can we tolerate bullying and smearing? Any conspiracy to undermine Xinjiang’s prosperity and stability is doomed to failure.