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Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

npr.org

51–60 of 132 posts

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#51
post #30

Can anyone point to a change or sacrifice they have made because they disagree with Chinas treatment of anyone?

1. I always check the country of origin before buying. I still buy China-made products when there's absolutely no other option, but whenever there's an alternative made anywhere outside China (whether higher priced, or even slightly inferior), I buy that instead. 2. Going to fund the development (since I can't do this myself) of a browser plugin to help people find non-China goods on Amazon easily. Just two features:…

I do 1 as well. I've held off on buying a waffle iron because I don't need one and I can't find one that isn't made in china.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#52
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? You see reports of state-sponsored child abuse and your first instinct is, "well, who are we to judge?" I imagine the answer should be, "pretty much anyone who isn't a child abuser."

Sovereignty means many things, but one thing specifically: No other realm may decide the fate of these people. China is sovereign, and we must acknowledge that.

> China is sovereign, and we must acknowledge that.

What does that mean to you, exactly?

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#53
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? You see reports of state-sponsored child abuse and your first instinct is, "well, who are we to judge?" I imagine the answer should be, "pretty much anyone who isn't a child abuser."

Sovereignty means many things, but one thing specifically: No other realm may decide the fate of these people. China is sovereign, and we must acknowledge that.

Human rights apply to all humans regardless of where they live.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#54
post #48
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It will take major corporate interests to take a stand like they did with South Africa with regards to apartheit. Massive economic impact can induce a corrective effect --unless you have a despot altogether like North Korea where noting will make a difference and only national trade policies can suppress coöperation. But, as we have witnessed so far, sometimes the money spigot is too good and you just make motions an…

The problem is that many companies rely heavily on China, either for supply, manufacturing or as a big lucrative market. South Africa wasn't nearly as important on any of those, so it was a much easier stance to make.

I guess. These people always talk a good game. Tim Cook talks about justice here and justice there and the environment here and there... but where the rubber hits the road, he gets quiet --as do myriad others. I mention him because he poses as the iconic industry titan who says all the right things but it's just a thin veneer. Same with mr James. He talks justice US-side but come China, it's crickets.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#55

This kind of forced assimilation can’t be sustainable.

France managed to assimilate most of the different cultural groups that existed in its now borders ( Bretons, Occitans, Picards, etc. etc.). Some remnants of those languages kind of exists, and there are growing movements to preserve them ( e.g. public signs in Toulouse are in Occitan and French), but for all intents and purposes the people were successfully assimilated and have been so for a century or two.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#56
post #30

Can anyone point to a change or sacrifice they have made because they disagree with Chinas treatment of anyone?

1. I always check the country of origin before buying. I still buy China-made products when there's absolutely no other option, but whenever there's an alternative made anywhere outside China (whether higher priced, or even slightly inferior), I buy that instead. 2. Going to fund the development (since I can't do this myself) of a browser plugin to help people find non-China goods on Amazon easily. Just two features:…

I’d use the plugin.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#57

This kind of forced assimilation can’t be sustainable.

Sounds like the tragic Residential School System in Canada [1]. Records of the extent of abuse at these places are still surfacing.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Indian_residential_sc...

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#58
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can we possibly see ourselves as objective judges when our collective history is essentially, from this historic perspective, butchery? What blessed this generation with a wisdom not seen before? What, precisely?

Why can't one acknowledge that their country did horrible things in the past and at the same time demand that other countries don't repeat history? You are not born with inherited sympathy for every action that your ancestors did in the past.

Nixon opened the door to China in 1972.

Just imagine if free and fair trade hadn't happen in the U.S. in 1776.

What would we be, in 1972? I shudder to think.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#59
post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Has anyone here even written to their senator? Can anyone point to a change or sacrifice a senator has made to their beliefs after receiving a letter? I'm guessing a check would be more persuasive.

Actually yeah, we had a recent law here in Washington pass (I cannot remember the specifics of it, but that's not the important part). Iirc, 8 people in total contacted a particular state rep (well, their office), and that law was given the time of day because turns out, _very very_ few people ever try to get in contact with them. Now, this was a state senator, not a US senator, but still, it only takes a very small…

I've written our state senator, local rep, and governor's office here in Washington state and have received nothing but canned responses in return, even for local issues.

Advisory votes are non-binding and ignored.

When people write in and the rep pays attention, they were going to pay attention anyway and just use the write in things to pander to their constituents and pretend as if it mattered.

Re: Uyghur kids detail abuse at China's boarding schools in Xinjiang

#60
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seriously? You see reports of state-sponsored child abuse and your first instinct is, "well, who are we to judge?" I imagine the answer should be, "pretty much anyone who isn't a child abuser."

Sovereignty means many things, but one thing specifically: No other realm may decide the fate of these people. China is sovereign, and we must acknowledge that.

>> No other realm may decide the fate of these people.

>> China is sovereign, and we must acknowledge that.

I call BS.

Sovereignty is not an excuse for genocide or child abuse.

Would you accept the abuses described in the NPR report if they happened to you or your children?

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