Uyghur-American Politician Accuses China of Engaging in Alleged Organ Trade

Xinjiang, 24 June:
A number of human rights crimes, including the alleged forced organ harvesting of Uyghurs, have been brought to light as a result of the current situation in China.

The Uyghur Muslim minority was the subject of accusations by specialists during a US congressional committee hearing in March, who said that the Chinese government had collected their genetic data to fund a forced organ transplant programme that aimed to recruit Muslim patients from the Gulf states. The Uyghur-American lawmaker Salih Hudayar wrote on X, "China has inaugurated a Children's Organ Transplant Centre." China has been participating in the Uyghur genocide by collecting and selling the organs of Uyghurs under the name "halal organs." Separation from family has been enforced for over one million Uyghur children since 2014. Does China's infamous organ harvesting programme include this as one more step towards the Uyghur Genocide?

Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in Xinjiang have allegedly been subjected to severe repression, including mass detention, forced labour, and possibly even organ harvesting, according to reports and accusations from a variety of sources, including human rights organisations and personal accounts.

There needs to be a complete investigation and responsibility for these claims because they are serious. The Uyghur people are allegedly being killed for their organs to supply the transplant industry, which is worth around USD 1 billion per year, according to the non-profit group 'World Without Genocide' based in Minnesota. Investigative journalists, human rights groups, and individuals claiming to have been impacted or knowledgeable of such acts have all made grave accusations.

However, independent verification of these assertions with proof is still problematic owing to the secretiveness of the Chinese government and the limited access to Xinjiang. A number of states and international organisations have demanded inquiries into these claims, highlighting the importance of openness and responsibility on the part of the Chinese government.

To make sure that everyone impacted has their human rights and dignity protected, advocacy groups are keeping a careful eye on the issue and are pushing for international attention.