Uyghur Muslims genocide issue raised at the White House

Jalil Afridi

Washington DC: White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby was asked at the White House Press Briefing whether the US is taking any concrete steps with the regard to the genocide of the Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province of China who are mostly Turkic-speaking ethnic group. 

John Kirby replied by stating that it is a kind of issue where “constant pressure” needs to be applied on China because “freedom of worship” is a basic right of every human being. 

It is pertinent to mention here that US has officially declared the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China as genocide and Congressman Chris Smith has written a letter to Chinese President Xi asking him that he (Chris Smith) personally wants to visit Xinjiang and see how Uyghur Muslims are being treated. 

John Kirby was asked whether he was aware about the letter from Congressman Chris Smith, to which John Kirby replied by stating that Congressmen are entitled to write letters to whom ever they wish and they can visit wherever they want to visit. 

It is also pertinent to mention here that US President Joe Biden is constantly being asked to take some concrete steps with regard to the mass detention centers in China where Uyghur Muslims are being held to do forced labor. China on the other hand calls these detention centers “reeducation centers” and claims that they are now closed. 

It is also pertinent to mention here that Pakistani political leadership has constantly turned a blind eye to this inhumane treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China and it is believed that Pakistan does not raise this issue because of the vast Chinese investment in the country.