Worrying reports from Uighur women - content warning, extremely upsetting

[ArabellaScott]

Do please avoid this if you are likely to be upset - I am finding the story very hard to read.

Disturbing and horrible allegations coming from women detained in China. 'rape has become a culture'

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-55794071

Is there anything at all that can be done about this?

[Imnobody4]

I've heard the reports and feel sick. I suspect China will take no notice of anyone but they should be taken to the ICJ at least. Myanmar is going it's own way too.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s primary judicial organization,ruledon January 23, 2020 that Myanmar’s Rohingya population is at risk of genocide, and that Myanmar must take “all measures within its power” to prevent genocide, refrain from destroying evidence of past genocidal acts, and report back regularly to the ICJ on implementation. This ruling acknowledges the dire risk posed to the Rohingya and sets a powerful precedent for global genocide prevention. The case was brought by The Gambia, which accused Myanmar of violating theGenocide Conventionand of intending “to destroy the Rohingya group.” As the case was filed in November 2019, this represents a rapid response from the ICJ.

The ICJ ruling is unique in proactively identifying sexual violence as constitutive of genocide. The ruling highlights the impact “widespread rape and other forms of sexual violence” has had on the Rohingya’s right to exist. Rape as a form of genocide was first recognized by the 1998 Akayesurulingin the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which found that sexual violence – including rape and sexual mutilation – constituted genocide. However, the Akayesu ruling has beencriticizedfor failing to consider sexual violence against men and boys to be genocidal

[CatrinVennastin]

Thank you for posting the link. It makes very difficult reading but the story needs to be told.

I believe everything these women say and I think it goes right to the top of the government.

[CaraDuneRedux]

It is rape as deliberate genocide - the controlling political faction (overwhelmingly Han) sees "diluting" Uighur racial identity by forcibly creating half-Han children as "a good thing."

It's a horrific human rights abuse and systematic war crime against women.

[BuntingEllacott]

I cannot read the story, but I want to bump it so that the FWR section truly underlines the depth of oppression women face worldwide. Too many people dismiss the realities.

[Hailtomyteeth]

I read it.
It's horrible.
What can we do?

[Rupertbeartrousers]

75 years after the liberation of Auschwitz and this is where the world is

[BlackeyedSusan]

It was on Radio 4 last night. Horrendous.

[PotholeParadies]

I believe it too. The reports from other women who have been released corroborate each other.

[Whatwouldscullydo]

I really have the words to react to this.

[Whatwouldscullydo]

Don't have

[LetMeBubble]

I will boycot China.

Arseholes arseholes arseholes.

[Mumofgirlswholiketoplaywithmud]

Thank you for sharing the article. This is horrendous.

[ArabellaScott]

I'm sorry, I didn't want to read it and I wasn't sure about sharing it.

It really is about as bad as it could possibly be. I just think this horror is unfolding in a country that has so much power - as you say, Rupert, Auschwitz has taught us nothing - it's terrifying - I don't know what, if anything can be done.

[Xoxoxoxoxoxox]

So many parallels with the Nszi's.
This report says the programme began in 2017, but I did not know the women were tortured and raped in concentration camps. Truly horrific.

[ArabellaScott]

Thanks, Imnobody, for the info on the ICJ. Will the UN ever take any action on this?

[colouringindoors]

Horrific. Utterly horrific. Those poor, poor women

[NonnyMouse1337]

Oh god. I knew it was bad, but not like this. What a horrific read. What can we do? They shouldn't be allowed to get away with this.

[UppityPuppity]

Only read to half way. Couldn’t read anymore.

My God - those poor women.

[Ereshkigalangcleg]

It is rape as deliberate genocide - the controlling political faction (overwhelmingly Han) sees "diluting" Uighur racial identity by forcibly creating half-Han children as "a good thing."

It's exactly that

[DeaconBoo]

It's vile, just disgusting. I feel so helpless to do anything. How can one group of people hold so much power over the another and choose to use it to do this?

[Gettingonwithlife]

No words for this horrific abuse. After the atrocities of the holocaust it seems we are standing by watching it happen again.

[ArabellaScott]

Again, I really am sorry for anyone upset by this (- how could anyone not be) - but I want to find a way to stop it from happening. Nothing in the report suggested it was over or likely to stop.

[SophocIestheFox]

No words.

I can only think of a letter to my MP as a first step. Any other ideas for action to take?

[ArabellaScott]

I'm trying to find campaigns - there's a bid to boycott cotton clothing that's come from cotton made in China.

[ArabellaScott]

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-funds-used-to-enable-chinas-human-rights-abuses-c2r80dfgg