Who are the Uyghurs and why are they being persecuted?

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2023

⏱️ 18 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

China has been accused of the mistreatment of the Uyghur people in the north-western region of Xinjiang for a number of years. This Muslim ethnic group are distinct with different culture, language and history to China's ethnic majority, Han Chinese. But why did the government start this crackdown? And what is really going on? Senior correspondent John Sudworth was based in China for nine years, and reported on the treatment of the Uyghur people. He speaks to Claire Graham to help us understand the region and how Xinjiang became a surveillance state.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Love, Genessa, a brand new true crime podcast from the BBC World Service and
0:05.2	CBC podcasts. It's a story about love, deceit and survival and it's available now.
0:11.8	Find out more at the end of this podcast.
0:19.8	Hello and welcome to the Explanation from the BBC World Service.
0:24.0	This is where we press polls on the busy 24-hour new cycle
0:28.4	and dig a bit deeper behind the headlines.
0:31.4	Today the West Bank's nightmare started coming true.
0:35.4	Protest is trying to bricks in there, using bamboo poles to smash vehicles.
0:40.4	It's a city where mothers carry guns along with their groceries.
0:44.4	The spaces that people can run to for safety are shrinking every day here.
0:52.4	I'm Claire Grim and with the help of my BBC colleagues
0:55.4	around the world I'll be trying to get a better understanding of the stories
0:59.4	that matter to all of us.
1:01.4	Today the Wiggers, who are they?
1:04.4	And why are they being persecuted in China?
1:10.4	I'm joined by John Sudworth who is a senior correspondent with the BBC.
1:15.4	The Wiggers live for the most part in North Western China in Xinjiang province.
1:19.4	What can you tell me about that region, John?
1:22.4	China's a far western region of Xinjiang, Claire, in terms of land area
1:27.4	is five times the size of Germany.
1:30.4	Think about that for a moment.
1:32.4	This is an absolutely huge region, a large expanse of largely dry desert.
	...

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