Beijing Olympics | The anger of Uyghur exiles

(Istanbul) Beyond their sporting prowess, the athletes who flocked from all corners of the world for the Beijing Olympics managed to do what exiled Uyghurs can no longer even contemplate: set foot in China.

This is the case of Medine Yazimi, a Uyghur exiled in Turkey, who cannot return to her home or even speak with members of her own family. Some 3000 km west of Beijing, his sister Mevlüde is detained in one of the camps where more than 1 million people are incarcerated and where several cases of torture, rape and sterilization have been listed by NGOs.

“Everyone knows what the Chinese government is doing, so why are they allowing the Olympics to be held in China? I do not accept it! “, gets carried away Medine Yazimi, in a cafe in the district of Zeytinburnu, in Istanbul. The latter wears small burgundy-rimmed glasses that frame her almond eyes and a green veil covering her hair – a religious sign now labeled as “extremist” in her country of birth.

After studying abroad, the two sisters settled and received citizenship in Turkey, a country that has long welcomed Turkish-speaking and Muslim Uyghurs as brothers, and which today hosts one of the largest diasporas. in the world.

Five years ago, Mevlüde returned to China to care for their sick mother. Living abroad being a reason for being suspected of terrorism in the eyes of the communist regime, she was taken to a camp. Mevlüde’s daughter, meanwhile, was reportedly taken to a boarding school, where the values ​​of the Chinese communist regime are instilled in children taken from their families.

Uyghurs in exile often have one, two, four, ten family members imprisoned for nebulous reasons. The exiles are kept in complete ignorance as to the fate of their family members in China.

“My sister disappeared and I couldn’t contact my family; my mother died and I couldn’t see her,” says Medine Yazimi, her throat tight. “The Chinese government broke my family, my life. »

stolen children

In the video, a little boy responds to a man’s questions by shouting in Mandarin. He has big black eyes and nice round cheekbones.

” How old are you ?

– Four years !

– What is your name ?

“Abdullaziz! »

The video was shared in 2019 on the Douyin network, the equivalent of TikTok in China. This is how Abdurahman Tohti saw his son by chance, when he had not heard from him for two years.

The Uyghur man has lived in Turkey since 2013. In 2016, his wife left to visit family in China with their 2-year-old son and 5-month-old daughter. All of them disappear as soon as they arrive at the airport. Until the day the video surfaced. Believing that he “has nothing to lose”, Abdurahman Tohti decides to tell his story openly. He eventually manages to get a phone conversation with his son.

“I told him I was his father, and he said, ‘You’re not my father!’ “, he says in Turkish at the end of the line. Her son speaks Mandarin; him, the Uyghur language. They exchanged with the help of an interpreter.

Bitterness colors his voice. He placed his only hope in pressure from the international community. How come she doesn’t act? he asks in despair. A few months ago, his application for citizenship in Turkey was refused; he will have to leave the country.

After the conversation, Abdurahman Tohti sends a short video montage in which he watches his son’s video on Douyin. He purses his lips and his eyes light up. Big tears run down her cheeks.

Families calling for help

With photos of their loved ones tied around their necks, dozens of Uyghur exiles have been protesting a few blocks from the Chinese consulate in Istanbul every week for more than a year. In January, more than 300 of these demonstrators called for a boycott of the Olympics. A small group of activists has also filed criminal charges in Turkey, accusing 112 members of the Chinese government of crimes committed in Xinjiang. In 2021, many have done outreach in various Turkish municipalities or on special occasions.

It takes courage to face reprisals from the Chinese regime, underlines Abdürreşit Celil Karluk, professor of international relations at Hacı Bayram Veli University, in Ankara, and member of the diaspora. Many face threats of reprisals from China, or face problems renewing their passports or visas abroad.

“We know what is going on. We are in a digital age, everything is before our eyes, we have data, satellite images! exclaims Abdürreşit Celil Karluk, joined by videoconference at his office in Ankara. The situation in Xinjiang has been called a cultural genocide by some bodies, such as the Canadian and Dutch parliaments. Some Western countries, including Canada, have also chosen to diplomatically boycott the Winter Olympics. But according to the researcher, this is not enough.

“The diplomatic route has failed; countries must put pressure on China economically, politically and, if necessary, militarily,” he said, referring in particular to the documented forced labor in Xinjiang. “International companies must apply pressure. And we must provide more support to the diasporas, who are experiencing psychological trauma. China not only persecutes the Uyghurs, but also the Tibetans, the Christians, recalls the researcher. The world must stop this. »