Xinjiang: Passports confiscated "against terrorism"
In some cases the passport is only issued in conjunction with a DNA sample. The World Uyghur Congress denounces the move as another sign of marginalization of the Muslim population.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Chinese government is confiscating all passports of the population of Xinjiang motivating the gesture as a fight against terrorism.
Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Chinese government is confiscating all passports of the population of Xinjiang motivating the gesture as a fight against terrorism.
Citizens have been ordered to hand in their passports to the authorities has been published already for several weeks under the threat of being permanently banned from travel. Some Shihezi police directives, which later disappeared from their website, stated that the withdrawal of travel documents was to happen by next February.
The World Uighur Congress has denounced the move as a further step towards the marginalization of the Uighur population. According to sources, last June, the Chinese authorities have forced the Uighur to give samples of their DNA in applying for new passports.
The Uighur, a Muslim ethnicity of Turkic origins constitute 45% of the population of Xinjiang in northwest China. There have been decades of marked tensions between Uighur and ethnic Han (Chinese). Some Uighur fringes dream of independence for East Turkestan region, although the majority of them just want more autonomy. China responds with a colonial military rule, by marginalizing the Uighur from key posts in politics and economics of the region.
China fears that the Xinjiang Muslims can strengthen alliances with the Taliban in Afghanistan or Pakistan, which supports the fight for independence.
Under the motivation "anti-terrorism", though China oppresses all the Muslim population by banning young people from participating in the prayer in the mosque, forcing them to not observe the fast of Ramadan, and banning beards.
In China, no resident has the right to have a passport, but must apply to the authorities. This allows authorities to control citizens foreign travels.
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