TIANSHANNET
Photo taken on April 9, 2021 shows the 7th Press Conference on Xinjiang-related Issues in Beijing. Photo by Zhen Shixin
Bi Haibo: Good morning, friends from the press. Welcome to the 7th press conference on Xinjiang-related issues held in the Foreign Ministry. For some time, certain international anti-China forces fabricated lies such as "Xinjiang Data Project", "Xinjiang Victims Database" and "Uyghur Transitional Judicial Database" to mislead world opinion.
We hope you could get a better understanding of the truth on Xinjiang-related issues through today’s communication. Today, we are very glad to have two spokespersons of the people’s government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xu Guixiang and Elijan Anayat, Vice President of the Superior People’s Court of Xinjiang Akbar Akram, Deputy Director General of the Public Security Department of Xinjiang Yalqun Yaqup. Before start, I’d like to invite Mr. Xu Guixiang to share his words.
Spokesperson of People’s Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Xu Guixiang answers questions at the 7th Press conference on Xinjiang-related Issues in Beijing, April 9,2021. Photo by Zhen Shixin
Xu Guixiang:In recent years, some international anti-China forces, by piecing together and collating a number of so-called "witnesses’ testimonies", have concocted the so-called "Xinjiang Data Project", "Xinjiang Victims Database" and "Uyghur Transitional Judicial Database" in an effort to denigrate Xinjiang and deceive the world with falsehoods, which has caused very bad effects. After rigorous verification, it is found, of the 12,050 people registered with the three "databases," 10,708 people are existential and 1,342 people are fabricated. As to the 10,708 people, 6,962 are living a normal life, 3,244 have been convicted and sentenced for crimes of violent terrorism and criminal offences, 238 have died of diseases and other causes and 264 are in foreign countries. The briefing today is to expose these "databases" by laying bare the truth to the public.
Fabricators with ulterior motives. The Xinjiang Data Project was established by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), which is funded and supported by some departments of the US government and the anti-China organization Human Rights Watch. As is known to all, ASPI, a long-term recipient of financial support from some US government agencies and arms dealers, is obsessed about hyping anti-China issues, spreading rumors, and vilifying and demonizing China to serve the interest of its financiers. Instead of being an academic research institution, ASPI is an anti-China tool dictated by the US Government and an anti-China "vanguard" under the cloak of "academic research". Especially on Xinjiang-related issue, ASPI has long been notorious for repeatedly churning out fallacies that are based on nothing but speculation and assumption. The "Xinjiang Victims Database", established by Gene Bunin, an American, together with anti-China "experts" Darren Byler, Zhao Loulan, Fatimah Abdul Gafur, and Tayer Imin, a "East Turkistan" figure, has been funded and supported by the US, Australia and other countries. The Uyghur Transitional Justice Database, established by chairman Bahtiyar Omar of the Norwegian Uyghur Committee, an organization under the World Uyghur Congress, has received funds and support from the National Endowment for Democracy of the US. It is not difficult to find that these so-called Xinjiang-related "databases" are established by some international anti-China organizations, personnel, or "East Turkistan" elements backed up by the United States and other Western anti-China forces.
Shoddy content. The "Xinjiang Victims Database" and the "Uyghur Transitional Justice Database" collect so-called "persecution experiences" of Uygurs living abroad and their relatives by inciting, fooling, wooing them, or of fabricated ones as “testimonies,” attempting to substantiate the "charges" accusing Xinjiang "illegally detaining Uygurs" and "suppressing Uygurs and Muslims" in the region. The "Xinjiang Data Project" publishes or re-posts a large number of Xinjiang-related slanderous articles and videos in an attempt to smear Xinjiang in the name of "academic research." For example, its "Map explorer" claims that it has identified the geographic information of 380 so-called "detention facilities" in Xinjiang through satellite images and nighttime lighting technology, saying the region has "built a large number of detention centers" in Urumqi, Kashgar, Aksu and other places. However, it has been verified that of the so-called 380 "detention facilities", 343 are regular schools, government organs and institutions, hospitals, living quarters, shops and so on, accounting for 90% of the total. It can be seen that the project has been carried away by hysteria with no morality in confusing right and wrong.
Despicable underhand ploys. These so-called Xinjiang-related "databases" produced a list of so-called "victims" by wantonly manipulating deceptive tricks such as concoction, loose accusation, presumptuous speculation, tampering, grafting, far-fetched correlation and out-of-context interpretation. Most of the “victims” are fabricated from thin air and their identity information is proved inaccurate; As to the so-called "detainees" with their names identified, most of them are actually living a normal life. There are some people who have been convicted and sentenced according to law for committing violent and terrorist activities, rape, drug trafficking, robbery, prostitution and other criminal offences.
The tools of political manipulation. Plenty of evidence shows that the so-called Xinjiang-related "databases" concocted by the United States and other Western anti-China forces are sheer "fraud databases", "rumor databases," and "false testimony databases," teeming with outright lies and slander attacks, and giving out a hateful and poisonous atmosphere. However, politicians, organizations and media in some countries hold the “databases” dear without verification and analysis, indiscriminately believing in the so-called “research results” and “witnesses’ testimonies”. They even shamelessly regard some "actors" as guests, conferring so-called awards on them and honoring them as "human rights defenders", while determining Xinjiang commits “crimes against humanity" and "genocide" based on the so-called “research results” and “witnesses’ testimonies”. It is just ridiculous!
Next, we will single out some of the cases repeatedly hyped in these "databases" and take a look at what the truth is.
Xu Guixiang: The first type is people who fabricated their “personal experiences”. Some "witnesses" in the so-called Xinjiang-related "databases" are in fact "actors" employed by anti-China forces in the United States and the West, who make a living by smearing Xinjiang abroad. Acting as "chess pieces" of the anti-China forces in the United States and the West in exchange for "refugee" status and material benefits by deceptive means, they repeatedly made up their so-called "experiences" in the vocational education and training centers, which have been exposed by the fact time and again. Now, let’s invite spokesperson of People’s government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Elijan Anayat to brief you on this issue.
Elijan Anayat:
About Sayragul Sautbay
Sayragul Sautbay, a female born in Zhaosu County of Xinjiang in 1976.
1.Activities outside China
Sayragul Sautbay claimed outside of China that before leaving China she had been a teacher of a “rehabilitation class”, and she had seen confidential official documents that 2500 people were kept in custody in the class she taught.
On December 12, 2019, in an interview video released by the BBC, Sayragul Sautbay said that during her days at the “detention camp”, she had been tortured and abused, including beats on the head with electric bar, restriction of movement, and surveillance cameras installed at all classrooms, dormitories and bathroom.
On March 4, 2020, the US State Department gave the 2020 International Women of Courage Award to Sayragul Sautbay. Pompeo claimed at the award ceremony that respect should be given to Sayragul, as a doctor she was forced to separate from her family, tortured in the jail and faced with execution for telling the truth.
On April 20, 2020, Japanese manga artist Tomomi Shimizu fabricated a cartoon telling story of Sayragul Sautbay and her so-called experience of “being abused” in a “survivor of reeducation camp” voice.
2. The Truth
April 2016, Sayragul Sautbay served as the head the Central Kindergarten of Chakhanwusong Township, Zhaosu County of Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang. On March 19, 2018, she shifted to teach at primary school of Chakhanwusu, and asked for a leave and left the school on April 4, and went cross the border illegally the next day.
First of all, she lied about her personal experience. Sayragul Sautbay said she graduated from medical university and served as a doctor before. But the truth is that she had attended a nurse’s vocational school in Ili, and never was a doctor. She firstly claimed that she had taught at a vocational education and training center, later changed the narrative and became a victim of the vocational education and training center, saying that she had been kept in custody in “concentration camp”, suffered from excruciation and medical experiment, or forced to eat pork. As a matter of fact, she was neither employed nor studied at any vocational education and training center, nor was subject to any compulsory measures. All her descriptions about the center is totally smear and slander.
Second, she had committed crime in China. On April 5，2018，Shaylagul sneaked cross the border with a Chinese border pass, which is clearly a conduct suspected of illegal border crossing by violating Item 322 of the Criminal Law of People’s Republic of China. In June 2015 and December 2016, Shaylagul applied twice for loans of 470,000 yuan in total from local Rural Credit Cooperative at Chakhanwusu Township with forged real estate purchase contract, defrauded guarantor’s signatures and false materials, which she yet owes a debt of 398,000 yuan to pay. This is a crime suspected of loan fraud by violating Item 193 of the Criminal Law of People’s Republic of China. Therefore, Shaylagul Sautbay is on Xinjiang public security authorities’ online list of wanted person.
Third, she is a woman of misbehavior and bad morality. When served as the head of the Central Kindergarten at Chakhanwusu Township, Shaylagul took advantage of her position and encroached on her fellow colleagues by embezzling collective performance bonus, as a result she was removed from her office by local education authority in accordance with laws and regulations. Shortly before across the border, she had persuaded her younger sister Panar to apply for some loan and buy out her car, but delayed to transfer ownership of the vehicle until she left secretly, for which Panar is still indignant.
Here is a video for reference.
About Mihrigul Tursun
Mihrigul Tursun was a female Uygur by ethnicity born in Qiemo County of Xinjiang in 1985. In August 2010, she registered for marriage with an Iranian in China，and in January 2012, she married to a Egyptian with registration made in Egypt. In April 2015, Mihrigul Tursun gave birth to triplets in Egypt, two of them were registered for permanent residence in China in October 2015, and one were entrusted to her husband’s cousin in Turkey. On April 22, 2018, Mihrigul and her husband left China with two kids.
1.Activities outside China
After went to America in April 2018, Mihrigul Tursun jointed a hearing of the US Congressional-Executive Commission on China as a witness and cited about her so called “personal experience”. In her interviews with western media, such as CNN, Mihrigul claimed that she had been held in custody by police in the “concentration camp” and forced to take or injected with unknown drugs. She saw the death of nine Uygur women when she was detained with people there being tortured everyday . One of her sons died in Urumqi Children’s Hospital without being nformed about the reason why he was admitted to the hospital in the first place.
2.The Truth
First, Mihrigul Tursun was totally free during her stay in China except for the 20 days of criminal detention. On April 21, 2017, Mihrigul was taken into custody by the public security bureau of Qiemo County on suspicion of inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination. During this period, she was found to have infectious diseases, including syphilis. Out of humanitarian consideration, the public security bureau of Qiemo County terminated the compulsory measures against her on May 10, 2017. According to relevant records, from 2010 to 2017, Mihrigul travelled between China, Egypt, UAE, Thailand and Turkey eleven times.
Second, Mihrigul Tursun had never been studied in any vocational education and training center, nor forced to take any drugs. Mihrigul Tursun claimed that she suffered from sterilization after being injected with drugs and medicines in the so called“ concentration camp”. However, according to verifiable investigation, she did not had any record of having sterilization surgery, and her parents said that she has the ability of fertility. Mihrigul Tursun also lied about her younger brother’s death after torture in the vocational education and training center. Hearing about her blatant lie, the dead one, her brother Akbar Tursun made a public statement, saying “ Mihrigul is so good at lying as always, she lied about my death, and smeared about witnessing others’ deaths too.”
Third, Mihrigul Tursun’s son did not die in Urumqi’s hospital during his treatment there. One of Mihrigul’s son was taken to hospital by Mihrigul herself and her family to Urumqi Children’s Hospital for hospitalization on January 14-19, May 6-12 and November 4-8 respectively in 2016 because of pneumonia, hydrocephalus and right-side indirect inguinal hernia. Actually, she left China with her husband and this son in April of 2018.
Here is a video for reference.
- About Zumrat Dawut
Zumat Dawut, female, born in 1982, was a resident of Urumqi and left China in Jan., 2019.
1. Activities Outside China
When she was interviewed by media outlets such as Radio Free Asia on September 20, 2019, Zumrat Dawut said that she was investigated by Xinjiang’s public security department for her marriage to a Pakistani man, and had been detained in a “re-education camp”. She also claimed that she was “brutally prosecuted”, “forced to take contraceptives with other detained women” and “to undergo forced sterilization” with a hysterectomy, and was given “a pork feast” at her “paired-up relative’s home”. Later on September 24 and October 2, 2019, she successively attended a panel session on global religious freedom and a workshop named “Human Rights Crisis in Xinjiang” held by the US State Department and made perjury. On October 12, she claimed that she learned from a neighbor in Xinjiang that her father had died because of repeated interrogations by the police.
2.The truth
First, Zumrat Dawut has never studied in any vocational education and training center. Her elder brother Abduheili Dawut told the media that his sister Zumrat Dawut had never been to any vocational education and training center.
Second, Zumrat Dawut has never undergone “forced sterilization”. When she was giving birth to her third child in the maternity wards of a women and children’s hospital in Urumqi in March 2013, she signed a child birth consent form, requesting “to have a cesarean section and tubal ligation”, and then the hospital conducted operation as she required. She was never sterilized, not to mention a hysterectomy.
Third, her claim of being given “a pork feast” at her “paired-up relative’s home” is a sheer fabrication. The “paired-up relative” she mentioned was in fact her elder brother Abduheili Dawut’s “paired-up relative” Zhao Qilin. In Jan., 2018, Zhao Qilin invited Abduheili Dawut, his wife Horqiz Ahmat and his sister Zumrat Dawut to Zhao’s home. Zhao’s mother cooked for the guests. Zhao’s mother is an ethnic Hui lady and eats halal food, so it was impossible that she would cook “a pork feast”. They actually took pictures together during the meal.
Fourth, Zumrat Dawut’s father had never been detained. According to Zumrat’s elder brother Abduheili Dawut, their father had lived a normal life with his children and had never been investigated or detained. Their father died of coronary heart disease, and there is no such thing as “death because of repeated interrogation by the police” as Zumrat Dawut claimed.
Next, please watch a video clip.
- About Gulzira Auelhan
Gulzira Auelhan, female, born in 1979, lives in Ining Yining County, Xinjiang.
1.Activities Outside China
In an interview by BBC on Jan., 15, 2020, Gulzira Auelhan falsely claimed that she had been detained for 15 months, during which she was maltreated and forced to inject unknown drugs; after being released, she worked in a glove factory and had to report her whereabouts to the police; and that her husband was also under surveillance after he was released.
2.The truth
First, default on bank loan. In 2013, Gulzira Auelhan joined other four of her fellow villagers as joint guarantors, applied for and got a loan of 40,000 yuan from Yining County Rural Credit Cooperative. After the loan matured, she has not paid the interest until today, and has been blacklisted by the bank.
Second, extremely despicable conduct. Gulzira Auelhan once told the Globe and Mail that her lifetime goal and ideal was to bring up her children. Yet on the contrary, she has never given birth to a child. After she married her third husband, she was very indifferent to her husband’s three daughters. She even asked her stepdaughters to help her pay her debts after she left China.
Next, please watch a video clip.
- About Tursunay Ziyawudun
Tursunay Ziyawudun, female, born in 1978, is a native to Xinyuan County, Ili Prefecture, Xinjiang.
1.Activities Outside China
After leaving China on September 26, 2019, Tursunay Ziyawudun was interviewed by BBC and other foreign media for many times, and claimed that “the women detained at the camps have to either undergo surgical sterilization or take medication to stop menstruation”, and she was “forced to undergo irreversible tubal ligation and sterilization”. In an interview with the BBC on Feb. 2, 2021, she said she had “experienced and witnessed sexual abuse”.
2. The truth
First, Tursunay Ziyawudun has never had any medical record of contraceptive operation.
Second, what Tursunay Ziyawudun said in the interviews is inconsistent. In an interview with BBC this year, she said that at the vocational education and training center, “the police knocked me on the floor and kicked me in the abdomen. I almost passed out”. However, in an interview with American website Buzzfeed a year ago, she said, “I wasn’t beaten or abused”. She claimed that she was under house arrest from Jan. to June, 2019. But her passport was issued on March 13, 2019, and passports must be applied in person to the government agencies according to the regulations. If she was under house arrest, how could she go out to apply for her passport?
Next, please watch a video clip.
- About Rahman Shanbay
Rahman Shanbay, female, born in 1987 and from Tekes County, Xinjiang.
1.Activities Outside China
After leaving China on December 19th 2018, she was interviewed by the Globe and Mail and other foreign media outlets, claiming that she was interned in a room with 24 women, and was chained with handcuffs and shackles for one week because her mobile phone had the application ‘WhatsApp’.
2.The Truth
First, Rahman Shanbay received investigation according to law after being reported. She was inquired by a police station because she was reported to have audios and videos with terrorism and extremism content and watched them frequently. As she committed petty crime, acknowledged her guilt and felt regretful, she received lenient punishment according to law after being criticized by the police.
Second, Rahman Shanbay was never interned. Her mother Danishban Musa said “my daughter indeed went to a police station for inquiry because she accessed to religious extremism and was suspected of committing crime, however she returned 3 hours later, then she helped me and my husband to attend to the cattle at home all the time.
Next, please watch a video clip.
Xu Guixiang: The second type are those who committed perjury through making false claim about their relatives. Some overseas anti-China people intentionally fabricated lies that their relatives were arrested, persecuted or lost, to angle for sympathy of the international community and realize their untold goals. Their relatives in China have clarified the truth and debunked those false claims. Now, let’s invite Akbar Akram, Vice President of the Superior People’s Court of Xinjiang, and Yalqun Yaqup, Deputy Director General of the Public Security Department of Xinjiang to brief you on these issues.
Yalqun Yaqup, Deputy Director General of the Public Security Department of Xinjiang answers questions at the 7th Press conference on Xinjiang-related Issues in Beijing, April 9,2021. Photo by Zhen Shixin
Yalqun Yaqup:
- About Furqat Jawdat
Furqat Jawdat, male, was born in 1992 from Yining City of Xinjiang.
1. Activities Outside China
Furqat Jawdat emigrated to the USA on January 23, 2011. Then he organized ‘group testimony’ in different countries and collected personal information of so-called concentration camp personnel and led the allegation activity “#Me Too Uyghur”. He claimed that his mother was detained in the ‘ concentration camp’ for 12 months then was imprisoned for 3 months. In March 2019, he was received by Mike Pompeo as one of ‘concentration camp’ survivors and their relatives.
2.The Truth
Furqat Jawdat, his father, brother and two sisters live in the U.S., and Her mother Minawar Tursun lives a normal life. As Minawar Tursun said, she has video chat with her son everyday.
Next, please watch a video clip.
- About Kuzat Altay
Kuzat Altay, whose real name is Kuzat Mamat, who is nephew of World Uygur Congress Chairwoman Rebiya Kadeer, male,who was born in 1984 from Urumqi of Xinjiang, now lives in the USA. On October 26th 2019, Kuzat Mamat became chairman of U.S. Uygur Association.
1. Activities Outside China
Since February 2019 when Kuzat Altay attended the press conference at the Capitol held by Coalition to Advance Religious Freedom in China, an anti-China organization and was interviewed by media, he claimed that his father Mamat Qadir was arrested and was suspected to have been died.
2.The truth
According to fact-checking, Kuzat Altay’ father, Mamat Qadir lives a normal life in Urumqi.
Now let us watch the video.
- About Guljahra Qeyum
Guljahra Qeyum. female, was born in 1973 from Urumqi of Xinjiang. She serves as correspondent and news host of Uygur department of Radio Free Asia, and member of U.S. Uygur Association. On May 8, 2017, she was listed as a target of online pursuit by the police for being suspected of joining terrorist organization.
1.Activities Outside China
In July 2018, Guljahra Qeyum attended meeting of Congressional-Executive Commission on China and said that her parents was detained in “concentration camp”. In March 2019, she was received by Mike Pompeo as one of “concentration camp” survivors and their relatives.
2. The Truth
Guljahra Qeyum’s parents have lived normal life. Her father Abduqeyum Ghoja aged 79, is paralyzed because of cerebral infarction. Her mother Chimangul Zikir, aged 73, suffering from various diseases such as cardiac disease, hypertention and varicose veins of legs, needs to take care of her paralyzed husband. They said that they are reluctant to travel abroad because of their poor physical condition.
Now let us watch the video.
- Yiminjan Sadul
Yiminjan Sadul, male, born in 1965, former associate-professor of history department of Xinjiang Islamic Institute.
1. Foreign speculation
Yiminjan Sadul’s daughter Samre Yiminjan claims that her father Yiminjan Sadul was arrested by the Xinjiang government for the reason that he published an Arabic grammar book in 2014. She was informed that her father was sentenced a 15 years imprisonment of “encouraging and advocating extremism”. On February 13, 2020, the Washington Post published an article about the thing on Uygur woman in Boston fighting for her father’s release, claiming that Samre Yiminjan’s father Yiminjan Sadul was detained by Chinese officials and was arrested on the charge of extremism.
2.Truths of related matter
According to investigation, Yiminjan Sadul has been enjoying free life.
Next, please watch a video.
Xu Guixiang: Next, Let’s invite Akbar Akram, Vice President of the Superior People’s Court of Xinjiang to give you a brief introduction.
Akbar Akram:
About Arpat Arkin
Arpat Arkin, male, was born in 1997 from Yining City of Xinjiang. On October 29, 2015, he emigrated to U.S. and joined the World Uygur Congress.
1. Activities Outside China
In February 2019, Arpat Arkin twittered that his mother was detained in concentration camp since the end of 2017, and his father Arkin Tursun was arrested and sentenced to 7 or 11 years. In March 2019, he was received by Mike Pompeo as one of ‘concentration camp’ survivors and their relatives.
2.The truth
Arpat Arkin’s mother, sister and brother lead normal life. His father was sentenced to 20 years by a people’s court for inciting ethic discrimination and hatred and shielding. He confessed all crimes and now serves his time in prison. He is in good health.
Now let us watch the video.
About Reyhan Asat
Reyhan Asat, female, born in 1981, resident in Urumqi City, Xinjiang
1. Activities outside the territory of China
On May 9, 2020, New York Times published article claims that in an interview, Reyhan Asat, who was an Uygur in the US, said that her younger brother Akbar Asat was arrested in Xinjiang after going back to China on account of having participated in the activity with the theme of “leader project of international visitors” held by the US State Department in 2016, then he was sentenced 15 years imprisonment for the crime of inciting ethnic hatred by the Chinese government. She calls for concerns from the organizer of the “leader project of international visitors” in the US to urge the Chinese government to release her brother Akbar Asat.
2.Truths of related matter
Reyhan Asat’s younger brother Akbar Asat was sentenced 15 years imprisonment in accordance with law for the crime of inciting ethnic hatred by the People’s Court. He made a clean confession of the crime and now he is in jail with good health condition. His penalty was based on the violation of the Chinese law and has no relation with his participation in activities in the US.
About Mamut Abdureyim
Mamut Abdureyim, male, born in 1978, resident in Urumqi City, Xinjiang, lives in Australia now.
1. Foreign speculation
Mamut Abdureyim said in an CNN interview that he has lost connection to his wife Arem Ablat and his children since April, 2017. He couldn’t go back to China because he’s worried about personal security.
2. Truths of related matter
Mamut Abdureyim’s wife Arem Ablat was deeply influenced by religious extremism and violent terrorism from his long term brainwashing, she went abroad on November 30, 2012. She had join religious extremist activities for several times and instigated people in domestic to go abroad, preparing for the implementation of terrorist attacks.
On December 6, 2015, Arem Ablat was back to China with missions dispatched by terrorist organization, instigated and deluded people in domestic joining terrorist organizations and launching terrorist activities. On June 19, 2020, she was sentenced nine year imprisonment on the charge of instigating ethnic hatred by the People’s Court in Kashgar City. She’s now serving her sentence.
Mamut Abdureyim’s daughter is living with his father Abudureyim Mamut now and studies at No. 1 Primary School in Kashgar City. His son is living with his mother-in-law Patima Abdurusul and now studies at the Kashgar Kindergarten.
Next, please watch a video.
Xu Guixiang: The third type are those who fabricated their experiences and testified. Now, let’s invite Yalqun Yaqup to give you a brief introduction.
Yalqun Yaqup:There’s large amount of people who have been used, invented and twisted in the so called Xinjiang related “database”. For instance, Tayir Asan, doctor of Gastroenterology Department of People’s Hospital in Kuqa City, Aksu Prefecture; Aysham Sadik, retired teacher; Gulbahar Mamat, kindergarten teacher in Zepu County, Kashgar Prefecture; Tayir Talip, retired editor of Kashgar Daily and the author; Anwar Dawut, Omar Ali, Abdukeyum Dawut in Pishan County, Hotan Prefecture, and so on, all of which were accused by the US and the western anti-China forces of “suffering detention”. While as a matter of fact, all of these people are living normally in society. Soccer player Yilpan Yezmujan is training at Suning football club in Jiangsu Province; Isak Payzulla, the editor in Hami Daily, and the Zaram Talips, who were retired cadres from the Committee of Ethnicity and Religion in Hami City, had attended the 5th press conference on Xinjiang-related issued on March 2, 2020.
Next, please watch a video.
Xu Guixiang: The forth type are those who are prosecuted for criminal liabilities according to law. I’d like to invite Akbar Akram to give us an introduction.
Akbar Akram,Vice President of the Superior People’s Court of Xinjiang answers questions at the 7th Press conference on Xinjiang-related Issues in Beijing, April 9,2021. Photo by Zhen Shixin
Akbar Akram:In the so called Xinjiang related “database”, there are people who violated the Chinese laws and were sentenced to penalty in accordance with the law. They are not “victims” at all. For example, Sami Bary who comes from Turpan City, was sentenced to life imprisonment for the crimes of organizing, leading, and joining terrorist organization and intentional homicide. Akbar Yimin, who comes from Urumqi City, was sentenced to 25 years in jail for the crimes of organizing and leading mafia-style organization, forced transaction, robbery, and unlawful detention; Ahat Wuji, who comes from Baicheng County in Aksu, was sentenced to 20 years in jail for the crimes of intentional homicide (uncommitted) and creating disturbances; Abdurehman Abdukerem, who comes from Zequ County in Kashgar, was sentenced to four years in jail for the crime of child molestation. It’s extremely ridiculous that the US and the western anti-China forces are “crying foul” for criminals like those people!
Xu Guixiang: That’s our introduction to the Xinjiang-related database issues.
Photo taken on April 9, 2021 shows the 7th Press Conference on Xinjiang-related Issues in Beijing. Photo by Zhen Shixin
Bi Haibo: Today’s conference is a little bit special. Concerning the Xinjiang-related database rumors and lies, the regional officials just spent 1 hour and 40 minutes to introduce the truth in a comprehensive way. Next, we have 20 minutes left to answer your questions.
Phoenix Satellite Television: The above mentioned people, the first and the second type in particular, some of them were hired by external anti-China forces and got benefits. On their relations with the external anti-China forces, do you have any specific examples? How did you find out? Do you have any specific evidence, such as the fund?
Yalqun Yaqup: I believe our briefings and the videos have explained your questions. Some cases are still under further investigation. We will reveal more through multiple channels in the future.
HK Satellite TV: Some overseas Uygurs say they are disallowed to return to China or to visit their families. They’ve got stuck in the dilemma that their family members couldn’t travel out of China and they are not allowed to travel in. Is such a thing real? Is forced labor practised in the cotton industry or any other industries in the region?
Yalqun Yaqup: In China, a country governed by the rule of law, the citizens' personal freedom and right to leave and enter the country are protected by law. Xinjiang has never restricted people of all ethnicities including overseas Uygurs from traveling in and out of China, nor has it ever restricted overseas Uygurs from contacting their relatives in Xinjiang. Chinese diplomatic missions abroad protect the lawful rights and interests of overseas Chinese, including ethnic minorities from Xinjiang, in accordance with laws and regulations including the Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China and the Passport Law of the People's Republic of China. Anyone who holds the Chinese nationality, recognizes oneself as a Chinese national, and has not violated Chinese laws and regulations can apply to the Chinese embassy or consulate in the place of residence for passport renewal or re-issuance. As we are informed, most applications for passport renewal or re-issuance from Xinjiang natives have been received and approved by Chinese embassies or consulates. The very few who have their applications rejected are suspected of involvement in terrorist activities in violation of Chinese laws and regulations. Overseas Xinjiang natives are expected not to believe in and spread rumors and to return to visit their families free of worries.
Elijan Anayat: “Forced labor” is neither existed in Xinjiang’s cotton industry nor practiced in other industries of the region. The White Paper "Labor and Employment Security in Xinjiang" issued by the Information Office of the State Council of the people's Republic of China and the "Investigation Report on Employment of Ethnic Minorities in Xinjiang" published by the Xinjiang Development Research Center introduced the fact that ethnic minority workers in Xinjiang are free and respected to decide what jobs they do for a better life with solid data, real examples and field surveys, clarifying that Xinjiang’s employment policy fully respects the will of and protects the rights of laborers, and strives to facilitate people’s pursuit of a better life.
With this opportunity, I would like to re-stress the following points: First, the labor rights and employment of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are protected by law. Xinjiang always follows the spirit of the Constitution of the International Labour Organization and relevant conventions, strictly implements laws and regulations such as the Labor Law of the people's Republic of China, the Opinions on the implementation of the Labor Law of the people's Republic of China in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, and the measures for the implementation of the Regulation on Labor Security Supervision in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous region, and legalizes the establishment, operation, supervision and mediation of labor relations. Forced labour by means of violence, threat or illegal restriction of personal freedom is strictly prohibited. Second, people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are completely free when it comes to employment. People are free to choose their jobs and decide where to work and what job they do. And their personal freedom has never been subject to any restriction. The government’s role is to put in place and improve various policies on employment, actively set up job information platforms, create a good employment environment, and create conditions for people of all ethnic groups to find satisfactory jobs which brings them stable income, ensuring the labor rights of people of all ethnic groups being protected to the maximum extent. Third, the labor rights and interests of people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang are protected in accordance with the law. The rights of workers of all ethnic groups to remuneration for labor, rest and leave, occupational safety and health protection, and to social insurance and welfare are all protected in accordance with the law. The rights and interests of workers of all ethnicities in religious beliefs, ethnic culture, and spoken and written languages are respected and protected in accordance with the law, whether they are in or out of Xinjiang. Facts have proved that employment and job security and practice in Xinjiang are in line with the Chinese Constitution and laws, international labor and human rights standards, and conform to the strong desire of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang for a better life, and can thus stand the scrutiny of the whole world.
Associated Press: Why we cannot find public information about the terrorist and extremist crime cases in Xinjiang on the government website? Generally speaking, in China, we can usually search for the relevant criminal and trial information of the case on the internet. But in Xinjiang, we cannot get access to these details. For instance, just now you mentioned a case about Reyhan Asat’s younger brother Akbar Asat, who has been sentenced to 15-year imprisonment for inciting ethnic hatred, but we cannot find the relevant details on the internet about why he was sentenced. If we cannot find the details, then we cannot verify the case. Can you brief us on that?
Xu Guixiang: I would ask Deputy Director-General Yalkun Yakuf to answer this question first, and then I would add something.
Yalkun Yakuf: These cases have been covered by the Xinjiang related counter-terrorism documentaries, such as Tianshan Still Standing：Memories of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang, and The War in the Shadows: Challenges of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang, which also included some content that had never been released before. These cases were all tried according to law.
Xu Guixiang: I think it depends on the nature of the cases. Some cases are released to the public, but some cannot be entirely released due to their nature. The trial and release of all these cases are carried out in accordance with law. We are successively releasing details of relevant cases through multiple channels.
First, at today’s briefing, we have released a large amount of information which will go on the internet. Tianshannet and many other websites can all repost, and you can find the relevant information on the internet.
Second, the CGTN documentary series on counter-terrorism, especially the most recent episode The War in the Shadows: Challenges of Fighting Terrorism in Xinjiang, has provided quite a lot of information. The specifics of some cases were not presented in great details due to the duration limit of TV documentary. In order to help people understand more details, a few days ago, we also held a briefing on Xinjiang related issues in Urumqi, where we invited Mr. Wang Langtao, vice president of the Higher People’s Court of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to give an exclusive and detailed introduction to the two cases concerning the problem textbooks involving Shirzat Bawudun and Shatar Shawut. As the trail was held in Urumqi, so you did not attend. But you may refer to Tianshannet and other websites for transcript of today’s press conference and details of the cases.
Third, the exhibition on major cases in the fight against terrorism and extremism in Xinjiang held at Urumqi Convention and Exhibition Center gives detailed presentation to many of the cases. Since the end of 2018, we have invited more than 1200 people in 80 plus delegations to visit Xinjiang, including the SCO delegation that visited the region not long ago. We have arranged visit to the counter-terrorism exhibition in the programs for all the delegations including media groups according to their own will. We also welcome you to visit the exhibition to know more about the cases. All in all, we will try our best to present to you the facts through diverse channels.
Bi Haibo: This is the end of today’s press conference. In the future, we will hold more such briefings at appropriate time, and you are welcome to participate. Thank you all.