Day: April 22, 2024

A Uyghur butcher serving a seven-year prison sentence in southern Xinjiang for advising friends not to drink alcohol or smoke at a gathering has been released alive and returned to his family, sources with knowledge of the situation said.

It marks the first time that one of the roughly 100 jailed Uyghur residents from Xaneriq village had been released alive, said an Uyghur from the area who now lives abroad, but who did not give his name for fear of retribution.

Authorities freed Mahmudjan Muqeddem, 46, who hails from the Tawaqchi community of Xaneriq village, on April 11, he said. The village lies in Kashgar Yengisheher county in Kashgar prefecture. 

A police officer from the Yenitam community in Xaneriq confirmed that Muqeddem, a butcher and farmer, had served seven years in a prison in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and was released on April 11. 

The officer’s colleagues told him that Muqeddem was arrested on suspicion of religious radicalization for advising his friends not to drink or smoke at an event prior to 2016.

Initially, he was “educated” in a camp for two years, but in 2019, he was sentenced and transferred to prison, they said. 

“The reason for arrest is that he stopped others from smoking and drinking,” said the officer. “He is not a religious figure.”

Extremist behaviors

Abstaining from alcohol is one of 75 different activities and behaviors identified by the Chinese government as a sign of potential religious extremism. It is listed in brochures distributed in some parts of Xinjiang to educate the public on how to identify extreme religious activities.

It is also a cause for jailing Uyghurs, who as Muslims abstain from drinking alcohol, as part of a larger effort by Beijing to eradicate Uyghur culture and religion. 

Xaneriq village consists of 23 smaller communities with a total population of 31,000 people, averaging around 1,400 people in each community. 

About 800 people live in Tawaqchi community, of which more than 100 were in prison, with some serving indefinite sentences in internment camps, the Uyghur expatriate said.

Since 2017, six others imprisoned were released dead, he said, though RFA could not independently confirm this.

Muqeddem’s release has offered some hope to others from the village’s Tawaqchi community worried out the fate of their imprisoned relatives, the expat said. 

But because the butcher was considered to have committed one of the mildest “crimes” among those arrested, his release also caused concern about the fate of those serving sentences for more serious offenses, he added.

Translated by RFA Uyghur. Edited by Roseanne Gerin and Malcolm Foster.

Junta authorities in western Myanmar forced hundreds of Rohingya Muslims to protest an ethnic rebel offensive that has the military on the ropes in Rakhine state – and fining them if they didn’t participate, residents said Monday.

It’s the latest bid by the junta to stoke ethnic tensions in the region, where a military clearance operation in 2017 killed thousands of Rohingyas and sent nearly 1 million fleeing into neighboring Bangladesh. Authorities have been pressing those who remain in a patchwork of villages and camps for the displaced into military service in recent weeks.

A participant in Monday’s protest said authorities forced around 1,000 Rohingyas from Rathedaung township’s Bar Sar Ra village and Bu May village in the state capital Sittwe to hold signboards denouncing the ethnic Arakan Army, or AA, and call for an end to the conflict or face fines and other punishment.

“If we don’t take part in the protests, we will have to pay 50,000 kyats (US$1.40) per household, and our village will be cut off as punishment,” said the protest participant who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity citing security concerns.

“We all fear such threats, and we cannot afford to pay this fine as all of us are facing various hardships in our daily lives. So, we had no option but to join the protest,” he told RFA Burmese.

The Rohingyas were also made to sign a petition saying that they don’t want the region to be governed by the AA, which has seized six of Rakhine’s 17 townships and several smaller towns since launching an offensive against the military on Nov. 13, 2023.

As of early April, the AA had captured some 170 junta camps and posts, as well as several larger bases, battalion headquarters, and training facilities in Rakhine state.

Earlier protests

Monday’s protest follows similar ones in Sittwe on March 21 and in Buthidaung township on March 19 – both of which included hundreds of Rohingyas.

Rohingya elders thwarted a protest scheduled to take place in Maungdaw township last month, a resident told RFA.

Rohingya activist Nay San Lwin said that the protests were orchestrated by the junta in Rakhine state.

“We have learned that the state police commander forced Rohingyas to stage the protests,” he said. “He [the commander] organized a meeting with the local elders and ordered them to take part in the protest with at least one person from each household.”

Nay San Lwin expressed concern that junta pressure could lead to communal conflicts between Rakhine and Rohingya people in the state.

Also on Monday, around 30 junta troops entered Munaung township’s Thit Pon village and forced villagers to sign a petition against the AA, according to residents.

A Munaung resident, who also declined to be named, told RFA that villagers were scared and could not refuse.

“They [the junta soldiers] went to Thit Pon village and held a village meeting,” he said. “They forced us to make signboards that said ‘The AA is not welcome.’ If we refused, we would have been arrested and they would have fired artillery at our village.”

Repeated attempts by RFA to contact Attorney General Hla Thein, the junta spokesperson for Rakhine state, for more information about the protests went unanswered Monday.

The AA accused the junta in late March of creating racial and religious conflict in Rakhine state with protests to divert public attention from military defeats in the region.

Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar’s Rakhine state were subjected to “ethnic cleansing” by security forces working with vigilante groups in 2023, says a report released by the United States on Monday.

About 1 million Rohingya refugees have lived in Bangladesh since 2017, when an operation by Myanmar’s military drove them across the border. Hundreds of thousands more, though, remain in Myanmar, and have been designated as “stateless” by the United Nations.

In its annual human rights country reports, which detail the rights situation in each of the world’s countries and were released Monday, the State Department says the Rohingya remaining in Myanmar continue to face “severe discrimination based on their ethnicity.”

In many cases, the Myanmar country report says, Rohingya civilians are even taken to be fair targets for military operations amid the country’s civil war, which has hit the ethnic minority hard.

On Aug. 25, it notes, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army claimed responsibility for attacks on a series of security outposts in northern Rakhine state, which led to the deaths of 12 security personnel. 

In response, the security forces and “local vigilante groups” then “committed widespread atrocities against Rohingya villagers.”

The atrocities included “extrajudicial killings, disappearances, rape, torture, arbitrary arrest, and burning of tens of thousands of homes and some religious structures and other buildings.”

“These atrocities and associated events forced more than 655,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh as of December,” says the report, “and constituted ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya.”

Uyghur genocide

The China country report noted that many of the 1.8 million Uyghurs who have been “detained in the government’s mass arbitrary detention campaign” still “remain imprisoned” to this day, despite the Chinese government’s claims that most of the camps have now closed.

China’s government says that the camps, which it claims are in fact vocational training centers, were mostly closed in mid-2019, with the detained Uyghurs having graduated and found employment. 

U.S. officials have said in the past that the claims are questionable. 

The 2023 human rights country report for China says that the genocide against the mostly Muslim Uyghurs in the far western region of Xinjiang continued last year, with “forced disappearances” against Uyghurs also not abating.

“Genocide and crimes against humanity occurred during the year in China against predominantly Muslim Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang,” the report says. 

In many cases, family members of Uyghurs who are subjected to “forced disappearances” and not even informed as to the location of the person detained, or the length of time they will be detained.

For other RFA target countries – including North Korea, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam – the 2023 report noted few overall changes.

“There were no significant changes in the human rights situation,” the reports for those countries say, even if the situation remains poor.

Edited by Malcolm Foster.

A video of tanks being transported has been shared repeatedly in Burmese-language social media posts that claim it was taken in Myanmar’s Rakhine state in March 2024.

But this is false. The video was in fact filmed at a market in the southwestern part of Cambodia and began to circulate online as early as January. 

The video was shared by several Facebook users on March 10, 2024, and shows what appears to be a convoy of large trucks transporting tanks adorned in camouflage patterns along a roadway. 

“10/3/2024 Rakhine,” reads the headline in Burmese. 

Rakhine, formerly known as Arakan, is a state situated on Myanmar’s western coast. It has witnessed a series of violent clashes between local militant organizations such as the Arakan Army, or AA, and the Myanmar military.

Following the launch of a new offensive in November 2023, the AA has captured six of Rakhine’s 17 townships, several smaller settlements, around 170 junta camps and numerous military facilities. 

As of early April, the AA is still advancing across the state and pursuing ongoing offensives against several towns in the region still defended by Myanmar’s military junta.

Filmed in Cambodia, not Myanmar

The video of the purported military convoy features a TikTok user handle named “@heachhay007” first seen in the lower left and then in the lower right corner of the clip. 

A keyword search of this username turned up a video published on Jan. 26 by a TikTok user who regularly uploads videos in Khmer, the national language of Cambodia.

The location in the video features multiple billboards written in Khmer, which utilizes a script distinct from Myanmar’s official language. 

A combination of keyword and reverse image searches found the video was in fact filmed at Tram Kak market in Cambodia’s Takeo province, a location from which the user has previously published multiple videos.

Below are two screenshots comparing the video in the false post (left) and the Google Street View image of Cambodia’s Tram Kak market (right). The corresponding features are circled in red.

Edited by Shen Ke and Matt Reed.

Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.

A recent surge in demand for used cars in North Korea has triggered an increase in car smuggling from China, with dozens of vehicles crossing a shallow section of the Yalu River every day, several sources told Radio Free Asia.

The used vehicles include a variety of cars that are often dismantled once they reach North Korea so that their parts can be used for the repair and maintenance of other vehicles, the sources said.

Trucks are also among the recent imports, raising the possibility that they’re needed on development projects emphasized by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Cars were regularly smuggled into North Korea before 2020, even though U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397 prohibits the export of passenger vehicles into the country.

But during the COVID-19 pandemic, Beijing and Pyongyang closed down the border and suspended all trade, which also stopped the smuggling. That led to pent-up demand for used vehicles and automotive parts, according to Choi Jangho of the South Korea-based Korea Institute for International Economic Policy.

Because of the U.N. sanctions, buyers of the used cars can’t bring them through the Changbai-Hyesan Bridge into North Korea’s Yanggang province through official means, a North Korean source told RFA, citing discussions with local traders.

“But if you go upward, you will reach the upper reaches of the Yalu River,” he said. “There is not much water these days, so even when a car fords over the river, only half of the wheels are submerged.”

Satellite images

RFA looked at locations suspected of being used for car smuggling through satellite images, and got some help interpreting them from experts.

About 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) upriver from the Changbai-Hyesan Bridge, the Yalu River narrows to about 35 meters (yards) and the river’s depth becomes shallow with a hard-enough bottom that would make it an ideal spot for vehicles to pass.

In one satellite image, exposed stones from the river bed could be seen, said Bruce Songhak Chung, a researcher at the South Korea-based Korean Institute for Security and Strategy.

“The whitewater current shows that the river is shallow enough for people to easily cross, and that there are more stones and pebbles than sand,” he told RFA.

There are several other sections of the Yalu River near North Korea’s Yanggang province where smugglers could easily bring in used cars, according to Choi Jangho.

“The Yalu River there is shallow, so you can just pass by,” he said. “As many [cars] as you would like.”

Several sources said most of the cars are purchased in Changbai Korean Autonomous County in China’s Jilin province, just across the border from Yanggang province.

But some are purchased in the city of Dandong, which lies across from the North Korean city of Sinuiju near where the Yalu River meets the Yellow Sea. 

Turning a blind-eye

In early April, a North Korean living in China told RFA that he reached out to a Chinese trader in Dandong to ask about buying used cars.

The North Korean expatriate said he asked the trader to properly inspect the used cars to see if they were in good condition, and also suggested some prices.

“Are there a lot of used cars going from China to North Korea these days?” the trader asked. 

“Yes,” the expatriate responded.

Since there is no credit used in the used car transactions, the trader told the expatriate he always waits until he has received payment from his North Korean buyers before sending the used cars across the border.

The North Korean source who knew about the crossings into Yanggang province said that Chinese customs officials are aware of the used car smuggling but turn a blind eye in exchange for bribes.

Chinese officials must also pretend not to know about the smuggling to avoid being implicated in the violation of U.N. sanctions against North Korea.

U.N. Security Council Resolution 2397, passed in 2017, is meant to deprive Pyongyang of cash and resources that could be funneled into its nuclear and missile programs.

Translated by Claire S. Lee. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. 

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party last week released a report detailing investments by two American financial institutions for Chinese companies “red-flagged or blacklisted” by the United States for advancing China’s military or for rights abuses.

The report says two fund providers, in particular, are responsible for funneling billions of dollars invested by regular Americans in their index and retirement funds into the companies – even if it’s all legal.

The first, MSCI, which it calls “the world’s foremost index fund provider,” has $3.7 billion invested in the companies, according to the report. The second, BlackRock, “the world’s largest asset manager,” has $1.9 billion invested in the companies, the report says.

Alim Seytoff of RFA’s Uyghur service discussed the report with Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Democrat from Illinois who serves as his party’s ranking member on the House Select Committee.

The following has been lightly edited for clarity and brevity.

—

Radio Free Asia: The House Select Committee on the CCP has issued a report about U.S. financial institutions providing billions of dollars to Chinese companies committing human rights abuses, and funding the Chinese government’s military capabilities. Were you surprised by the findings of the report?

Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi: I was initially surprised. I first learned about some of the initial findings back in the August-September 2023 timeframe. I was very concerned that so much money was going into companies involved with either the perpetration of human rights abuses, or in the modernization of the People’s Liberation Army. 

I then learned later on that, unfortunately, there’s exposure across Wall Street. It’s not just one or two companies, but a number of investment companies have that exposure to the blacklisted companies. 

We have to do more in Washington legislatively to prohibit this type of investment. But at the same time, I tell friends on Wall Street that it’s probably a bad idea to be investing in these types of companies.

RFA: Your report found that nearly $6.65 billion has gone to these Chinese companies that are developing China’s most advanced stealth fighters, also increasing China’s nuclear capabilities, as well as assisting China’s genocide of the Uyghur people. What was the response from companies like BlackRock and MSCI?

RK: First they said “It’s legal.” Secondly, they said, “If we don’t do it, others will.” And third, they said, “This is something that’s widespread.”

With regard to their first point – that it’s legal – that is something we have to work on. But regardless of whether it’s legal or not, I don’t think investors want this to happen. That was a point we made also about federal retirement funds. Fortunately, the Federal Employees Retirement System listened to us and removed some of those investment options from the portfolios. But overall, I think taxpayers and investors would be very surprised to learn of our findings.

RFA: These companies know that China is committing genocide against the Uyghurs. Also, these companies should know that China poses the most serious national security threat to the United States. So while this is not illegal, don’t they have any kind of national security or moral concerns over their investment? 

RK: The short answer is that it’s just not a concern that has seemed to motivate them to do things differently. For some, I do think that they’re concerned about that. But for others, I don’t think that’s the case. 

Certainly, for our part in Washington, we have to do a better job. We had a field hearing near Wall Street, actually. I made the point to all those who were paying attention to our findings on Wall Street that if you didn’t know this before, you know it now. So you’re on notice not to continue. But, regardless, we have to take action in Washington.

RFA: The committee made recommendations for some legislative efforts to prevent U.S. companies from investing in these Chinese companies. In the meantime, what do you think the Biden administration can do to stop investments to these companies?

RK: The Biden administration has an executive order that prevents investments in certain sectors, including A.I., quantum tech, semiconductors, and so forth. It’s targeted at private equity and venture capital funds, and that’s a good start. But we need to turn the executive order into law, so that it becomes more predictable for the future. 

We don’t want executive orders to keep changing depending on the administration. I also think there has to be some attention paid to passive investments, not just active ones, as well as private equity and venture capital, because there’s billions of dollars that – as we detail in this report – are occurring through passive investments. 

In this case, we pointed out the passive investments in blacklisted companies. So what I’d like to see is legislation that addresses not just what’s in the Biden executive order, but also passive investments. 

There’s also something called “variable interest entities,” or VIEs. Those are, to me, a very shady financial instrument. I don’t know if it should be, quite frankly, legal for people to invest in VIEs. But unfortunately, every IPO we’ve had with regard to a Chinese company has been in these VIEs, not in the underlying stock of the company. 

Given that the Chinese government has already said that these VIEs are illegal, the value or worth of these investments could be zero at the whim of the Chinese Communist Party. Given these issues, there’s a real risk to our markets and to average ordinary investors.