China’s Uighurs: Here’s why Imran Khan stays silent on mass detention of Muslims

Xinjiang [China]: Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan had raised voice against Rohingya Muslims and condemned Islamic world’s silence over the genocide of minorities in Myanmar. However, he decided to stay silent on mass detention of China’s Uighur Muslim.

According to the report published in Telegraph, when asked the reason for his silence over the mass detention, Mr. Khan said that he is unaware of the situation. He further said that even if the allegations on China is true, he would raise the issue in private rather than criticizing China publically.

Expressing the views on the comment by Mr. Khan, a shop owner in Rawalpindi said that China is lending billions of dollar to Pakistan and that could be the reason for such stand.

Another trader said that Pakistan does not want to make its ally angry despite the fact that China is taking all steps to destroy the culture of Uighur.

Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch alleged that China is using its diplomatic tries to shut the criticism over the mass detention.

Pakistan will not raise voice against China due to modern day Silk Road network of ports, roads and railways. China had pledged to invest £46bn.

Muslim Uighurs who escaped Xinjiang give their testimonies to @HRW on mass detention torture and mistreatment by China's gov't. pic.twitter.com/Sre6SugSJd

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) September 26, 2018

It may be noted that Beijing previously had denied the existence of such camps, but later defended them as “vocational education and training centres” where happy students study Mandarin, brush up on job skills, and pursue hobbies such as sports and folk dance.

A guard stands in a courtyard inside the No.1 Detention Center during a government guided tour in Beijing on October 25, 2012. The rare visit to the facility, which has capacity for 1,000 inmates, was opened to the foreign media as Beijing prepares for the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo by Ed Jones / AFP)

Police guards stand at a security gate inside the No.1 Detention Center during a government guided tour in Beijing on October 25, 2012. The rare visit to the facility, which has capacity for 1,000 inmates, was opened to the foreign media as Beijing prepares for the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo by Ed Jones / AFP)

Guards prepare to frisk journalists during a government guided tour to the No.1 Detention Center in Beijing on October 25, 2012. The rare visit to the facility, which has capacity for 1,000 inmates, was opened to the foreign media as Beijing prepares for the 18th Congress of the Communist Party of China. AFP PHOTO / Ed Jones (Photo by Ed Jones / AFP)

Chinese officials say the facilities are part of efforts to combat terrorism, religious extremism and separatism in Xinjiang following unrest that left hundreds dead in recent years.

But an AFP investigation published in October showed that local authorities had bought gear for the centres including police batons, electric cattle prods, handcuffs, pepper spray, stun guns and razor wire.

The centres should “teach like a school, be managed like the military, and be defended like a prison”, said one official document, quoting Xinjiang’s party secretary Chen Quanguo.

“The Chinese government owes some answers to international questions about Xinjiang,” Maya Wang, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, had told AFP.