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A bipartisan group of twelve US House representatives has introduced a bill aimed at making it easier for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities fleeing persecution in China to seek asylum in the United States, as reported by Radio Free Asia (RFA).
According to RFA, the proposed Uyghur Human Rights Protection Act seeks to offer additional support to the 12 million Uyghurs living in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, who are enduring what the US government has termed a "genocide". Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, a Democrat from northern Virginia, is one of the bill's co-sponsors. His district is home to a significant Uyghur community, and he expressed his concerns about the ongoing oppression, as reported by RFA. He highlighted, "The brutal persecution of Uyghurs by the Chinese government is a human rights crisis. I have personally heard from Uyghur constituents in my district about their deep concerns for their relatives attempting to flee atrocities. I am proud to lead this bipartisan initiative to provide those enduring unthinkable oppression with a pathway to expedited refugee status and asylum." RFA reported that since 2017, an estimated 1.8 million Uyghurs have been detained in camps in China, where they have reportedly faced forced labour, sterilisation, and torture, according to survivors and United Nations investigations. The Chinese government, however, denies these allegations, claiming the camps are vocational training centres that have mostly been shut down. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, a Republican from Florida and co-sponsor of the bill, referred to the Uyghur genocide as "one of the most horrific crimes against humanity we have ever witnessed." According to RFA, Salazar stated, "Our refugee system is designed to provide protection to those who need it most. We should prioritise those that are able to escape the systematic persecution and torture Uyghurs and other oppressed minorities are suffering from in Xinjiang." (ANI)
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