Every election season in the United States has proven itself to be a tight and intense time for the world, as spectators of America’s power play. Amidst a global pandemic, devoid of exhilarating, live-time entertainment, the globe closely watched over the Western nation in keen observation, to see what the results have to say. While it may have little to no significance to the way we non-Americans would live our lives – and is thus presumptively trivial to our lifestyle, given the little alterations it would make (if any) –, some of the key details of this election is actually crucial to the lives of a select few.
Halfway across the world from the political arena of Donald Trump and Joe Biden, is its biggest trading rival and competitor since the fall of the Soviet Union – China. The name as a nation has already existed for long, but their presence and power are only beginning to be visible now, as they take on ambitious leaps forward to global development and unity.
Take their grand Belt and Road initiative for example. It has only existed for less than a decade now, but its works are profoundly visible in nations stretching as far as Latin America and bringing its Asian partners closer than ever to political and economic partnership – they are in the path of building a better image for itself economically.
But let’s not be too naïve here. With great projects and ambitions, comes great sacrifices needed and dirty work to achieve what their aims are. Most times, these malicious developments go on great lengths and involve the subjugation of entire communities to abide by their authority, and heaps of people mobilized to work and construct in their economic splendour.
The frontline victims of China’s grandeur image might arguably be the Uyghur minorities. Ever since their ethnic uprising in 2009 Urümqi, China’s western frontier ethnics have since been subject to “re-education” in hopes to quell extremism and separatist values (which the CCP interpreted from said violence). A decade has now passed from the riots, and an estimate of 500,000-1,000,000 Uyghurs are now/have been interred in “re-education” camps, with their final objective being to assimilate with the ruling Han Chinese class (i.e.: abandoning Islam, adopting Han Chinese names)
Recently, however, China’s other controversies and points of contention – such as its active suppression of democratic practises and freedom of speech in its autonomous Hong Kong region – have garnered attention, and eventually drew condemnation, from its Western counterparts; the most vocal one being the US under Trump’s cabinet.
Since the protests’ start in June 2019, there is a significant international call to put an end to the Chinese intervention in the Hong Kong protests, which was initially drawn by the proposed Security Bill. Towards the end of the year, Trump signed an executive bill and policy that aims to monitor Beijing, in hopes to reduce their encroachment and consistent creeping on Hong Kong politics.
This is all a part of their declining trade relationship and the so-called “trade war” between the two, which has brought both states to throw countless of sanctions, threats, and trade blocs against each other, as symbolized by America’s resentment and doubt on Huawei and 5G operations, involving the persecution of top-ranking corporate officials, as well as public dismay.
But behind the scenes are those who run and create this product itself. If America and corporations can cast doubt on things that are on the surface, then they should do the same for whose backs are breaking for the state without anything to return, and if anything, is only getting discriminated against.
The Uyghurs that have since been placed on camps, isolated from loved ones and society, have largely ended up in forced labour, working in behalf of China’s demand for materialistic growth and economic hegemony – their homeland Xinjiang is a hotbed of cotton production, and in fact, produces up to 20% of the world’s cotton. Much of this cotton then proceeds to the production of fast fashion clothes and brands, such as H&M (though they are changing), Uniqlo, and Walmart. Similarly, their illicit manufacturing have since brought to life products for corporates such as Apple, Fila, and Esprit – all three being companies who have yet to be transparent, release a statement, comment, or voice opposition against forced labour in China’s sweatshops.
With Biden winning the election, this will potentially thrust more attention towards the mistreatment of Uyghurs, quite possibly putting the same amount of energy Trump did with the trade war and Hong Kong. Joe Biden has already acknowledged the Uyghurs’ persecution as a genocide. The US House of Representatives have already (nearly) unanimously passed bills on sanctioning China earlier this year (Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act), and more recently, has outright banned all Xinjiang-based imports over forced labour camps, in hopes of imposing more stringent action against Uyghur forced labour.
What lies ahead is still uncertain, and the contingencies are as concerning as they are many. But as the only nation that can convince and sway a nation as big as China, America’s say might influence China to relent. If sanctions go as planned, then we can see the massive reduction of Chinese corporate consumption globally, which may be countered by China’s massive population that can thus sustain itself.
But if such attention could be brought up on our most consumed corporations, then world leaders can then weaponize the Uyghur issue into the attention of the international, and galvanize awareness not just on niched networks, but to the general public as well, in a similar fashion to how popular the BLM (Black Lives Matter) movement is today globally. We must revolutionize this cause, and take our time as global citizens to actually pitch in and support the Uyghurs, especially during these dire times.
Sign petitions, contact your local MPs, lobby for support, share Instagram stories and posts, read the news, go thrifting, shop/buy second-hand. These are all minor actions we can do as individuals to help bring closer to the reduction of their discrimination and mistreatment. It may not be much – and their action a decade or two to stop, even –, but it can save someone’s life and reduce the labour and pressure they are beared upon.
Save the Uyghurs, and join us in Amnesty International Exeter Society to know more about our Uyghur campaign, the #WinterForUyghurs. Feel free to contact us and inquire!
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