Disregard of Xinjiang documentaries hurts anti-terrorism efforts

Editor's note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs." It does not necessarily reflect the views of CGTN.

China Global Television Network (CGTN) has aired two documentaries on fighting against terrorism in Xinjiang. It comes as no surprise that mainstream media and politicians in Western countries have gone silent and chosen to ignore the facts listed in the two short films.

That the U.S. politicians turn a blind eye to violent attacks in Xinjiang means sabotaging the global cooperative efforts in the fight against terrorism. It also sends a dangerous signal to the international terrorist forces. In recent years, these forces have gradually shifted from group- controlled and large-scale operations to wide-spread and multi-centered ones. Reports show that in the first half of 2018, there were 639 terrorist attacks in 42 countries worldwide.

However, the questions of how to tackle terrorism and extremism on a global scale, or what the situation is really like in Xinjiang after China's law-binding efforts to fight criminal forces, are not what concern politicians from Western countries. They go out of their way to smear and discredit China's policies regarding Xinjiang by playing their "human rights" and "democracy" cards. Their true intention is to separate and destabilize China.

Incomplete data suggests that from 1990 to the end of 2016, thousands of terrorist attacks hit Xinjiang, where a large number of civilians were injured or killed, and the region's economy was severely damaged. The two CGTN short films truthfully documented China's systematic anti-terrorism measures such as the establishment of the vocational education and training centers. Xinjiang has been free of terrorist incidents for three successive years since the centers were launched.

Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers are by no means "concentration camps" that Western media and politicians claim to be. They are more like boarding schools that provide good education and living conditions. The majority of the attendees are able to find jobs and re-establish themselves into the society after completing their terms. Since the end of 2018, over 1,000 experts and scholars, state and regional officials, those working in international organizations, staff members from media outlets, and people from religious groups have visited Xinjiang. They have all acknowledged Xinjiang's efforts and achievements in anti-terrorism and de-radicalization after their first-hand inspection and exploration.

After watching the two CGTN documentaries, many internet users from various countries can't help voicing their opinions. They leave comments like the truth is right there and it's time to point out Western countries' hypocrisy and double standards. For those with integrity who really care about the social development and human rights of minority groups in Xinjiang, the documentaries have presented them with truth of the region's anti-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts. Politicians in the U.S. and other Western countries who have been blind to the truth better turn it around soon, because if they don't, they will eventually pay for their actions.