Why Muslim Nations Won't Criticize China

https://www.businessinsider.com/why-muslim-countries-arent-criticizing-china-uighur-repression-2018-8

Why the Muslim world isn't saying anything about China’s repression and 'cultural cleansing' of its downtrodden Muslim minority

Muslim countries have been silent over China's crackdown on its Uighurs, a Muslim-majority ethnic minority in the country's west.
Experts and activists say it is because countries fear economic retribution from China.
Many also say it's because many Arab states also have poor human rights records, and don't want to draw attention to themselves.
Turkey has tried standing up to China in the past — and Beijing has not forgotten it.

So why hasn't anyone said anything about China's Uighur issue?

Money, money, money

Many Muslim-majority countries aren't speaking out because they don't want to jeopardize their economic relationships in China, experts say.

Several states in Central Asia and the Middle East are part of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive project launched in 2013 linking 78 countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania through a network of railroads, shipping lanes, and other infrastructure projects.

Many of these deals entail China giving hefty loans to economies with a bad credit rating, which countries such as Pakistan are already finding difficult to repay. And it appears that these economic partnerships are stopping these countries from speaking out about Xinjiang.

Simone van Nieuwenhuizen, a Chinese politics researcher at University of Technology Sydney, told Business Insider: "Like most states, many Muslim-majority countries have increasingly close economic relations with China.

"There is a general consensus that speaking out about the situation in Xinjiang might jeopardize the development of economic ties, and it is therefore not in their interests to do so."

Alip Erkin, an activist in Australia who runs the Uyghur Bulletin network, specifically cited BRI as a hindrance. He told BI: "Enormous trade and investment opportunities, as well as debt burden from China, through the BRI not only result in the tight lips of Muslim states but also an active cooperation with China in Uighur crackdown."

Egypt, a BRI partner country, has even appeared to help China with its Uighur crackdown.

Last summer, Egypt detained dozens of Uighur students in the country without giving a reason, denied them access to lawyers and their families, Human Rights Watch reported.

Cairo also deported at least 12 Chinese Uighurs back to China around the same time, according to The New York Times.

Peter Irwin, the program manager at the World Uyghur Congress, told BI: "There is a certain expectation that Muslim-majority countries would naturally lend support to Uighurs and criticize China, but we just haven’t seen this, and I don’t expect we’ll see this given China’s economic ambitions with the Belt and Road Initiative, however successful the plan may or may not be."

China's Uighur treatment may not offend Arab states

It may be too simplistic to cite economic dependence on China as the only reason why Muslim countries aren't standing up to China over the Uighurs.

Many Middle Eastern states also have a poor human rights record, and prioritize social stability over individual rights, much like China does, van Nieuwenhuizen said.

China justifies its crackdown on Xinjiang as protecting the peace and preventing terrorism. Militant Uighurs have been accused of starting deadly ethnic riots in Xinjiang and terrorist attacks across the country from 2009 to 2014.

Many Arab countries "exhibit a similar understanding" of prioritizing social stability over human rights, van Nieuwenhuizen said.

She told BI: "Many Middle Eastern states have a poor human rights record themselves — including when it comes to the treatment of religious minorities. Many exhibit a similar understanding of human rights to China's — that is, that social stability trumps individual rights.

"This is how the Chinese government has framed the presence of re-education camps and other repressive measures."

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As the article points out, money is only one part of the equation; it doesn't try to claim it's the only reason. The article also points out some of these countries have records of egregious human rights abuses themselves and may identify with China's methods.

The 'carrot and stick' approach works both ways. Everyone does it.

The article is not concerned with the ethics of the "carrot and stick" approach, it's showing how it's used to silence Muslim nations from speaking out against the Uighur genocide.. China has no qualms banning foreign entities from it's markets, like when China banned the BBC merely for reporting negative news about China. Likewise with any Muslim nation that speaks out against their treatment of Uighurs.

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Doesn't excuse China.

Note that China banned many American journalists in retaliation for the USA
banning or expelling almost all Chinese journalists in the USA.

Link? I don't doubt you, I just like to be educated on such things.

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That's interesting. Any U.S. action done with Trump in office should have an asterisk next to it.

Even so, China banned the BBC merely for reporting negative news about China. If China will make such a petty ban, any Muslim nation receiving financial support from China or trying to gain access to China's markets has reason to fear reprisal if they speak out against China's treatment of Uighurs.

This thread is about why Moslim nations are not more critical of China.

Why does the US pop up in every single reply?

Chinese government tactics aimed at deflecting from any form of critique.

@shavixmir said
This thread is about why Moslim nations are not more critical of China.

Why does the US pop up in every single reply?

Chinese government tactics aimed at deflecting from any form of critique.

Agreed.

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I don’t know if the US has Uyghurs illegally imprisoned or not.
Although since they imprison anyone and everyone, it wouldn’t surprise me.

And yes. Anyone held without charge should be released.

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No, see the article in the OP.

Surely, Shavixmir and Vivify should be urging the US government to release the
Uyghurs that the USA has imprisoned without charge or trial for decades, right?

Yes; but America's action don't excuse China detaining one million Uighurs and committing genocide, including through forced sterilization.

If you want to criticize the U.S., go ahead; but don't do so in order to deflect from China's crimes.

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America has acknowledged crimes committed in Guantanamo and even pledged to close it. China still denies their crimes against Uighurs.