Demonstration in front of the Chinese consulate. Like the Uyghurs, the Kazakh minority is also sent to concentration camps in the Chinese autonomous region. The Kazakh government does not intervene so as not to deteriorate relations with Beijing.
Moscow () – After 500 days of public action, relatives of Kazakhs detained in Xinjiang “re-education camps” reaffirmed their desire to see their loved ones again. They met in Almaty, in front of the Chinese consulate. As they have done during this long period of protests, they showed up holding the photographs of relatives who remain on Chinese soil, juxtaposed with the photo of Xi Jinping and the flag of Kazakhstan, chanting the slogans: “May the chief of China free our relatives!”, “Close the political prison camps!” and “Free the innocent detainees!”
Akikat Khaliola is one of those taking part in the protest. He says that his father died in a Chinese prison, while his mother and his two little brothers are still missing, and there is no news of his whereabouts. In an appeal to Kazakh President Kasym-Žomart Tokaev, he reiterates that his father was killed in prison only because he “asked for justice”. Another protester, Gaukhar Kurmanalieva, questions the fact that Kazakhstan has not interceded on behalf of its citizen Askar Azatbek, who was detained at the border with China even though there were no charges against him.
An official of akimat (Municipality) of Almaty, Rita Erman, met with protesters in front of the consulate, warning them about the risks they run from the “illegal” gathering and asking them to return home. In the last 500 days they have carried out similar actions and as a consequence, the authorities fined the members of the group several times. The Chinese consulate never deigned to receive them nor to respond in any way to their claims.
The wording of Azattyk supported the relatives of the Xinjiang detainees by sending a formal request for clarification, addressed to the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The official response was that the “illegal actions” in front of the consulate “are an obstacle” to the patient work of diplomats trying to resolve the matter because “they negatively affect bilateral relations with China.”
Reports of a crackdown on the Turkish-speaking and Muslim population of Xinjiang have been going on since 2017. The most affected ethnic groups are the Uyghurs and Kazakhs: after having their passports confiscated, they are sent to “political re-education camps” or placed under house arrest. Many have fled China; others tried but were stopped before crossing the border. There are also minorities of Kyrgyz, Tajiks and Dungans in the region.
Numerous international organizations and Western countries accuse Beijing of “genocide” against the Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Turkic-speaking peoples living in Xinjiang. For their part, the Chinese authorities deny the accusations. Protest actions in front of the consulate in Almaty began in February 2021, leading to countless arrests and punishments. No answer has ever been given about the “invented accusations” that have led to the arrest of their relatives and the separation of their families. In recent months, there has been an influx of ethnic Kazakh Chinese citizens who have fled Xinjiang, the vast majority of whom have settled in Almaty.
Add Comment