A government notice recently circulated on Douyin announced that the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection will investigate corruption cases at the grassroots level for 30 years. The notice, which highlights the country’s increased fight against corruption, states that the past actions of retired leaders will be investigated for the rest of their lives, that is, while they are still alive. Although the notice is aimed at the whole country and only addresses corruption, when it is implemented in East Turkestan, it is speculated that the action will target political and ethnic issues, raising concerns among Uyghur activists.
A police officer who answered our call from Kashgar Peyziwat revealed that the investigation was launched under the name of “Khuytowken” (return investigation) and that a village secretary named Omar Abliz was being interrogated from his hospital bed. He said that Omar Abliz, who turns 86 this year, was detained in the 1980s while in office for facilitating passport procedures for several people who had gone on the Hajj pilgrimage outside his country.
World Uyghur Congress President Turgunjan Alawudun, referring to China's wave of retrospective investigations into issues, said that there was no fundamental retreat in China's genocide policy in East Turkestan, and that he would report the situation to relevant international organizations.
In the 2017 mass arrests, residents were sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for acts of worship performed 10-20 years ago, while writers and poets were sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for books and articles written several decades ago.
