China carrying out ‘slow genocide’ of Uyghurs in Xinjiang: Report

Newly published research has provided compelling evidence that China is carrying out a slow genocide of the Uyghur population, due to Beijing’s perception of the community as a national security threat.

Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow in China studies, and Erin Rosenberg, an attorney specialising in international criminal law, wrote for Foreign Policy that the five governments had declared China’s actions against Uyghurs as genocide, based on evidence of systematic suppression of births.

In an upcoming peer-reviewed publication in the Central Asian Survey, Zenz presents comprehensive and compelling new evidence based on published statements and reports from Chinese academics and officials. The core message is that the Uyghur population as such is a threat that endangers China’s national security.

Beijing has begun suppressing Uyghur birth rates to “optimise” ethnic population ratios for counterterrorism purposes. This would reduce population growth by preventing between 2.6 and 4.5 million births by 2040 in southern Xijiang alone.

Liao Zhaoyu, dean of the Institute of Frontier History and Geography at Xinjiang’s Tarim University, has argued the region’s terrorism problem is a direct result of high Uyghur population concentrations in southern Xinjiang.

Chinese researchers have argued the “foundation for solving Xinjiang’s counterterrorism” is “to solve the human problem.” More specifically, this requires “diluting … the proportion of ethnic populations” by increasing the Han population share and reducing the shares of populations with “negative energy,” such as religious and traditionally-minded Uyghurs, noted Foreign Policy.

Boosting Han population shares without significantly exceeding carrying capacities requires drastic reductions in ethnic minority population growth. By 2040, the state could boost Han population shares in southern Xinjiang to nearly 25 percent by settling 1.9 million Han. This would dilute Uyghur population concentrations in line with counterterrorism targets.