Originally published on Darren Byler’s Xinjiang Column on SupChina, March 6 2019
Shared with authors’ permission, Sep 22, 2019
Tag: concentration camp
Fatimah Seyyah’s Poetry for Mother
Fatimah has testified for her mother and her people on different platforms many times, but this time she chose to present a poem to the world.
Tomato Shirt
Juxkun, a concerned friend of Xinjiang, also designed this T-shirt to address the issue of China’s resource extraction in Xinjiang. Besides the cotton and oil industries, Xinjiang produces more than 70% of China’s tomatoes and a significant portion of canned and processed tomatoes for export into the global economy, for example Heinz tomato ketchup.
Shimizu Tomomi’s Art Testimony
Artist Shimizu Tomomi (清水ともみ) rendered Mihrigul Tursun‘s testimony given at US Congressional hearing in Manga form. Mihrigul’s testimony gave accounts of various torture and gender based violence inside one of the ‘re-education camps’ in Xinjiang. It is never easy to gather the courage to speak on the trauma and inhumane treatment from an unjust system, especially for Uyghurs; this could mean retaliation to their families from the Chinese government.
Kazakhstan Art Group Shapalaque
Kazakhstan is facing Chinese expansion and surveillance directly across the border. At the same time, the youths there are fighting against their government’s corruption and autocracy. Bravo to these young artists’ creative initiative to reflect the truth behind the government orchestrated tour of the Xinjiang ‘re-education camps’!
Bloodied Like a Pomegranate
Here is a Taiwanese artist’s reminder for people who are privileged to celebrate Mid-Autumn Day festival with their family members. “Remember there are many people who cannot reunite with their loved ones, there are many people who are drowning in pain and struggle… those who are arrested for no reason.”
Badiucao’s Chilling Images of Xinjiang Camps
Badiucao created the work titled “Xinjiang Auschwitz” on the 10th anniversary of the “7.5 Incident” which happened in Xinjiang in 2009—a violent clash broke out after long-term ethnic tensions came to a head, and was also a turning point for massive police surveillance and securitization of Xinjiang. The other work, “China’s Doctor of Death,” is inspired by an actual leaked photo from a concentration camp in Xinjiang. His work is an excellent visualization of how government policy aims to re-engineer Uyghur minds.
