China forces Uyghurs into mass forced labour during Ramadan, restricts religious practices

Last week, videos of Uyghurs engaged in mass forced labour during Ramadan went viral on social media. According to RFA, some worked in the fields, while others did cleaning.

Amid China's broader, systematic persecution of Uyghurs and their culture, the RFA report noted that the action is one of several steps taken by authorities to outlaw religious rituals among the approximately 12 million Uyghurs, the most of whom are Muslims, who reside in Xinjiang.

During Ramadan, which this year takes place from February 28 to March 29, Muslims are encouraged to fast from sunrise to sunset. According to the RFA report, Muslims are free to do this in the majority of nations. However, in an effort to combat religious fanaticism, Chinese authorities have outlawed fasting during the holy month. They even require people to provide video evidence that they are eating lunch during the day.

Additionally, they have prohibited Uyghurs from celebrating other Muslim holidays and from congregating at mosques on Fridays to pray. According to an RFA report, a video depicting Hotan residents working in agricultural fields on the second day of Ramadan was uploaded to Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok.

According to additional information from a video that was uploaded on the seventh day of Ramadan, all Uyghur homes were required to do communal cleaning. RFA claimed that Chinese officials in Aksu prefecture are making Uyghur citizens work during Ramadan to prevent them from fasting.

The Chinese government justifies these actions as measures to combat extremism, but human rights groups describe them as crimes against humanity, including genocide. Additionally, Uyghurs are subjected to intense surveillance, forced labour, and religious repression. Their language and cultural practices are increasingly restricted, and reports of forced sterilizations and family separations have surfaced. (ANI)