China running Campaign to Slash Birth rates among the Muslim Minorities

An investigation conducted by the United States-based news agency Associated Press (AP) has found that the Chinese Government has been running a number of in-human campaigns to slash the birth rates among the minority Muslim population in its country. Experts have labeled this Campaign of China as ‘Demographic Genocide’. Among the Muslim minorities in China, most belong to Uyghurs ethnic groups.

China’s Stance on Detention Camps in Xinjiang

The Chinese Government continues to claim that the camps set up at the Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China are for offering voluntary education and training; however, the authorities running these camps have been instructed by the Government to run these camps as high-security prisons with punishments, no escapes, strict disciplines, etc.

Investigation by AP

In its investigation, the AP found that millions of ethnic minorities are often locked in these camps for having too many children. Minority women in Xinjiang are regularly forced to pregnancy checks and to take IUDs. The interviews and data have shown thousands have been forced for abortion in Xinjiang. Failure to comply with the instructions for birth control of the authorities results in mass detention and punishments in the form of huge fines, regular police raids at homes for searching hidden children, etc.

The investigation report by AP was published on the basis of the interview of a former detention camp instructor, 30 ex-detainees, and their family members. The statements made during the interviews were backed by the Statistics and Data of the Chinese Government and the Government of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region. The use of IUDs has fallen drastically in China over the last decade, except in Xinjiang there has been a rise of 60 percent between 2014 to 2018 in the use of IUDs.

U.S. Sanctions on Chinese Officials

Earlier in the month, based on reports of continuous human rights violations on the Uyghurs population by the Chinese Government, the United States has imposed visa restrictions on Chinese officials accused of involvement in abuse of human rights. The U.S Bill passed by its Congress and signed by President Donald Trump on 17th June 2020 was named the ‘Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act’.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2020