Hong Kong’s detention of Uyghur student demands transparency

Disappearance of Uyghur Student from Hong Kong Raises Concerns

The recent disappearance of Uyghur student Abuduwaili Abudureheman from Hong Kong has caused panic in the Uyghur community and human rights organizations worldwide. Abudureheman arrived in Hong Kong from South Korea earlier this month and sent a message to his friend informing that he was being interrogated by Chinese police at the airport. Since then, there has been no news of his whereabouts. Amnesty International has expressed concerns that Abudureheman has been unlawfully extradited to mainland China without any due process and is at risk of arbitrary detention and torture.

Hong Kong’s Potential Complicity in Human Rights Violations

Amnesty International has called on the Hong Kong authorities to reveal the whereabouts and fate of Abudureheman. The organization claims that his disappearance raises questions about the potential complicity of the Hong Kong government in human rights violations committed against Uyghurs by the Chinese government. The fact that Abudureheman was detained on arrival and interrogated suggests that the Hong Kong authorities might have played a role in facilitating his detention and extradition to China.

Background of Crimes Against Humanity and Arbitrary Detention

Abudureheman’s case is of particular concern, given the background of crimes against humanity committed against Uyghurs by the Chinese government in Xinjiang and its ongoing pursuit of Uyghurs who have travelled overseas, says Alkan Akad, Amnesty International’s China Researcher. Abudureheman was born in the city of Karamay, Xinjiang, in western China. He spent seven years studying in Seoul and completed a PhD in Sports Industry and Leisure in 2022. His friend described him as a softly spoken, hard-working student whose favourite hobby is to play football.

Possible Complicity of Hong Kong Authorities

Amnesty International understands that Abudureheman was on a Chinese government “watch list” of Uyghurs and other Muslims from the Xinjiang region, based on his history of overseas travel. The Chinese authorities have increasingly pursued and threatened victims outside of China’s borders, to silence dissent or force their repatriation, says the organization. Such extradition violates the UN Convention Against Torture and general international law if the individual is at real risk of torture or other serious human rights violations.

Immediate Release of Abudureheman

Alkan Akad has called on the Hong Kong authorities to urgently reveal the whereabouts of Abudureheman, who has not made contact with loved ones for more than two weeks. Amnesty International has documented numerous instances of the Chinese government targeting Uyghurs both at home and abroad with arbitrary incommunicado detention, lengthy imprisonment and torture purely based on the fact that they had travelled outside of China. Unless there is sufficient and concrete evidence pointing to an internationally recognizable crime, Abudureheman must be immediately released.

International Outcry Against Human Rights Violations

Since 2017, there has been extensive documentation of China’s crackdown against Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, carried out under the guise of fighting terrorism. In 2021, a comprehensive report by Amnesty International demonstrated that the systematic state-organized mass imprisonment, torture, and persecution perpetrated by Chinese authorities amounted to crimes against humanity. Many of Amnesty’s findings were confirmed by a report by the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights in August 2022.

Hong Kong’s Responsibility and Obligation to Uphold Human Rights

China resumed sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997, but a “one country, two systems” model remains in place. The Hong Kong authorities exercise their own immigration control. In 2019, the then-Chief Executive proposed an amendment bill to enable Hong Kong to enter into ‘special surrender arrangements’ with mainland China. The proposal was dropped after an unprecedented wave of mass protests broke out in the city. Hong Kong’s actions in this case will undoubtedly attract widespread criticism and condemnation, not only from the Uyghur community and human rights organizations but from the international community at large.

Conclusion

The disappearance of Abuduwaili Abudureheman raises serious concerns about China’s targeting of Uyghurs overseas and the Hong Kong government’s possible complicity in human rights violations. The international community must join forces to demand the immediate release of Abudureheman and hold China and Hong Kong accountable for their actions. Hong Kong has the responsibility and obligation to uphold human rights and protect the fundamental rights of all individuals within its jurisdiction, regardless of their ethnicity or religion.

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