China our Great Friend, Can’t Talk About Sensitive Chinese Issues : Says Imran Bhai, Hope Mahathir Is Listening
Pakistan presently shares border with Xinjiang Region through the illegally occupied parts of India. Xinjiang Region is the home of Quighers Muslims who are under heavy persecution of the Chinese and are leading an enslaved lives. Many Quighers are also settled in Pakistan and they visit Xinjiang quite often and get prosecuted. 26 millions Quighers Muslims are under constant surveillance and leading a miserable life.
However fellow Muslim, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has instead backed China over the persecution of Uighur Muslims. In an interview with the German state broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, Khan Sahib was asked about not being very vocal about the Chinese suppression of the Uighur people. To this, the Pakistani Prime Minister replied that “the scale of what is happening in India is not comparable to what is supposedly happening to the Uighurs in China.”
Then Khan went on to give the real reason. He said that China was Pakistan’s great friend and helped the country in its most difficult times because of the economic crisis his government had inherited. So as a beggar, Pakistan was in no position to criticize its Alms provider.
We do talk about things with China privately, not publicly, as these are sensitive issues, Khan said.
The resource-rich region in the far west of China has a population of over 26 million people and according to Human Rights Watch, the Uighur people are forced to learn Mandarin under President Xi Jinping ‘One China’ policy. Subjected to 24/7 surveillance, the Uighurs are also forced to give their DNA and biometric samples to the police.
Last year, over 400 pages of classified Chinese government documents and blueprints were leaked to the world media highlighting the unprecedented crackdown on the Uighur ethnic minority.
Millions of Uighurs are currently imprisoned in state-run re-education camps and according to a 2017 report from Xinjiang Ministry of Justice their main aim is to “wash brains, cleanse hearts, support the right, remove the wrong.”
Beijing has also deployed cutting edge technology by using data and artificial intelligence to keep an eye on the Uighur population. To boost this new form of social control on the masses the Chinese authorities are using mass surveillance technology to keep a close eye on the Uighurs and according to a report, after this system was operational it gave the names of thousands of Uighurs in just one week for detention or interrogation.
People say that even praying in the mosques are being controlled and Meat Shops have to sell all kinds of non halal meats.
Though the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamed, in a total contrast to Irfan Khan, first deeply criticized India, a close friend, over the bifurcation of the State of Jammu & Kashmir and removal if Article 370. Even when told that it was totally an internal matter of India, he continued with his diatribe against India.
Next, without even bothering to read the amendment passed by the Indian Parliament on Citizenship Act, Mahathir opened his big mouth to curse the Indian Government. This was also an insult to the Indian Sovereignty and the Indian Parliament.
As it is, New Delhi was also unhappy with Malaysia’s refusal to revoke permanent resident status for the terrorist supporter Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, who has lived in Malaysia for about three years and faces charges of money laundering and hate speech in India.
Mr Mahathir insulted the Indian judicial system by saying that even if the Indian government guarantees a fair trial, Naik faces the real threat of vigilante action and that Malaysia will only relocate the preacher if it can find a third country where he would be safe.
“If we can find a place for him, we will send him out.”
So when enough was enough, India retaliated by hitting out at Palm Oil imports from Malaysia. India, the world’s largest edible oil buyer, this month effectively halted imports from its largest supplier and the world’s second-biggest producer in response to comments from Mr Mahathir attacking its domestic policies.
India has been Malaysia’s largest palm oil market for the past five years, presenting the Southeast Asian country with a major challenge in finding new buyers for its palm oil.
Benchmark Malaysian palm futures fell nearly 10% last week, their biggest weekly decline in more than 11 years.
It seems Mahathir has now come to his senses. He has said that “ We are too small to take retaliatory action,” Mr Mahathir told reporters in Langkawi, a resort island off the western coast of Malaysia. “We have to find ways and means to overcome that,” he added.
Malaysia will not take retaliatory trade action against India over its boycott of palm oil purchases amid a political row between the two countries, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday.
Mr Mahathir should try and learn from Imran Sahib.
