In the latest round of oppression to meet the Uighur Muslims of China, multiple reports from inside and outside China confirm that millions of Uighurs will have to turn their passports into Chinese authorities, with no credible reason given for this move.Chinese oppression of the Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang province barely needs an introduction, and has included such moves as forced eating in schools during Ramadan, a ban on prayers in certain places and a ban on civil servants from fasting during the month of Ramadan. Local Muslims have also complained of their farmlands being confiscated and jobs being taken away.
This latest move, however, is of immense size and seriousness, as it effectively stops people from fleeing China. It was reported issued in a government circular in October, but has only come to broader light in the last few days.
We ask Allah to have mercy on the Uighur Muslims of China, and to ease their oppression. Ameen.
China orders Xinjiang residents to surrender passports to police
Millions of residents in China’s northwestern Xinjiang region have been ordered to surrender their passports to local police, in a move rights groups say is an attack on personal freedom.
The order came from the Shihezi Public Security Bureau Immigration Office in Xinjiang on October 19, which said that passports would be held by police after an “annual check.”
Residents wishing to travel abroad would have to seek permission from local authorities, the statement said. Those who refuse could be barred from leaving the country.
Xinjiang is an ethnically divided and resource rich province that is home to around 10 million predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and around eight million Han Chinese.
No reason was given for the policy, however the World Uyghur Congress, a Germany-based rights group, said it was deliberate move to restrict the movements of the Uyghur population.
“Although the regulations ostensibly target all residents, Chinese authorities in the past have taken clear steps to limit mobility rights for the Uyghur community in particular,” the Congress said in a statement.
