PANEL DISCUSSION Chinese Refugees Tell Tale of Oppression By aya Noronha Hoya Staff Writer

A panel of four speakers discussed Tibetan and Uyghuran human rights violations and the effects of the alleged religious and social oppression in China to about 20 students in Reiss on Tuesday. The panel featured History Professor Hayun Ma as well as representatives from the Uyghur Human Rights Coalition and the International Campaign for Tibet.

A Turkish and predominantly Islamic people, the Uyghurs live in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China. Since 1759, when the Qing dynasty conquered their land, the Uyghurs have been fighting against oppression to attain autonomy.

Toni Azim from the Uyghur Human Rights Coalition showed a short film created by the British Broadcasting Company focusing on the effects of 32 years of nuclear testing in the Xinjiang region. The Uyghur people suffer from unusually high incidences of cleft palates, enlarged bowels, gynecological defects and cancer. Azim passed out pamphlets discussing other alleged human rights violations – including massive population transfer, torture of Uyghur supporters as political prisoners, religious persecution and forced abortions.

History Professor and member of the Chinese Department Hayun Ma contrasted human rights in the United States with those in China. “We have a big gulf between the two definitions,” she said.

Ma said that the human rights violations pervade the political, social and academic ways of life for Muslims in China. “We can see discrimination against the Muslim adage, and the elimination of Islam in Chinese society,” Ma said.

Ma explained that “the pressure for cultural assimilation” can conflict with Muslim customs, such as the “hajj” (the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca), the “halal” or “zahiba” meat (which refers to the dietary code declaring how meat should be slaughtered). Ma questioned how much freedom the Islamic press really has, whether the Islamic people have any power with the Chinese Communist Party ruling the government and whether the academic records listing one’s religion may keep Muslim students from gaining promotions.

“Ask him not to be Muslim. This sort of violation can only be felt – can only be experienced. It is a social experience,” Ma said.

Georgetown Muslim Students Association, Amnesty International and Students for a Free Tibet sponsored the panel as part of human rights week.