Right now, an estimated 1.5 million Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups are being held in detention centers, being used as forced laborers, in the Xinjiang region of China. The Chinese Communist Party has denied any allegation of genocide, forced sterilization, and use of force in these camps, and has said that these camps are only attempting to “combat terrorism” and promote “social integration” according to numerous articles from Al Jazeera news, UCANews, and several academic articles. As President Biden’s climate negotiator, John Kerry said about these incidents, “That’s not my lane.” An article from the Family Research Council says, “According to multiple accounts, [Kerry] attempted to block legislation that would bar imports from Xinjiang as the products of forced labor…”

As the holidays come around, I ask that each reader reflects on what they are thankful for, and in the spirit of the holidays, donate or raise awareness of this crisis.

This holiday season, refuse to buy any products made in China! Write your Congressman, write your Senators Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown. This Thanksgiving, give to those facing some of the gravest crimes against humanity. Visit Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP(.)org).

Cyrus Theodor

Urbana