cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/53062611
[…]
Starting around March 27, Uyghur Times reviewed multiple videos from Urumqi and Kashgar showing city management workers removing Uyghur-language signs from shops, restaurants, supermarkets, and even private businesses. In many cases, only Chinese-language signage was left behind.
One widely circulated video on the Chinese version of TikTok shows the demolition of Uyghur-style architectural elements at a major transportation hub in Urumqi, known as Uchtash Qatnash Bikiti (also referred to as Sandongbi Transportation Station).
In the footage, a Uyghur man standing in front of the site expresses deep sorrow:
“Today we are witnessing the destruction of one of the most iconic cultural landmarks in Urumqi. It held our memories. For many of us, our journeys began here and ended here. Now, it is gone.”
[…]
Other videos show workers dismantling Uyghur-language signage across urban areas. One sign reads “ئۆي مۈلۈكچىلىك، ئىلىم سېتىم,” meaning “Real estate Sales & Transactions.” Another removed sign identifies a construction materials supplier. In the clip, a bystander can be heard lamenting:
“It is not over. One day, it will come back.”
Observers say the campaign reflects a broader effort to eliminate visible markers of Uyghur cultural and linguistic identity under the framework of the new law.
When the law was passed, experts warned that it would legitimize cultural destruction and forced assimilation. Uyghur activists also condemned the law.
[…]
No no, Jesus is (probably) not wrong about re-education. That’s the most believable thing out of all this. The US has been building terrorist groups in West Asia for 4 or 5 decades now. The East Turkestan movement is one of the US’s projects to destabilize China, just like when it trained Tibetan terrorists and literally airlifted them from training camps into Tibet to go commit mass murder.
This creates a huge problem for China. It can’t fight the terrorists with overwhelming violence. A) that just creates more terrorists and B) the US has proven it doesn’t work. So they need to find some other way to counter it. Re-education camps seem like they could be way heavy handed for this purpose. But the proof is in the numbers. Whatever China has done has successfully reduced the terrorist attacks, pretty much better than anything the world has ever seen, and they did it while maintaining cultural autonomy, religious freedom, etc.
China is pretty secretive about it because it’s literally a national security problem and if you expose to the Americans how you’re countering the US radicalization program, they’ll adapt their program. That’s why China brought in the Arab League to audit their program. The Arab League was the least likely to try to help the Americans adapt their terrorist training programs, and they were the most sympathetic to and knowledgeable about the Uyghurs. The Arab League reviewed the program first hand and they signed off on it.
So, I don’t doubt the existence of a reeducation program. I just think it’s an actual effective tool in combating religious extremism and radicalism, particularly the extremism fomented by US intelligence in the region.