A testimony from our “100 Camp Testimonies” Book
I am a Swiss citizen, and I would like to testify for my family members and relatives. The Swiss German-language newspaper Berner Zeitung has reported on the Chinese regime’s persecution of my relatives on January 31, 2022.[1]
Helchemhan Damola, my mother, was born on January 1, 1948. I lost all contact with my mother since August 2017. I have not been able to obtain any information about her whereabouts and wellbeing since August 2019. She is 74 years old, with diabetes and high blood pressure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, I do not know how she manages to cope with all the inconveniences and heavy restrictions imposed by the Chinese regime.
Akbar Memtimin, my younger brother, was born on March 25, 1982 in Kucha. He had been a trucker for many years. He was taken to an internment camp in lieu of my parents, who visited Turkey for a duration of 10 days back in 2009, which would constitute grounds for internment. I have not been able to obtain any information about my brother. Since 2020, I also have not been able to get in touch with his daughter Tumaris, who is 16 years old as of 2021.
Abduweli Abdurishit, my brother-in-law (my husband’s younger brother), was a bus driver before his imprisonment. He was detained on July 10, 2015 along with other 30 Uyghur men, the reason for which was that they had social gatherings and they prayed together. That same year he was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while the other 30 Uyghur men were sentenced to four to 17 years in prison.
Osmanjan Kerim, my sister-in-law’s husband and a father of two, was born in 1977, who was a jewelry maker prior to his internment. I learned that he was taken to an internment camp around November 2017.
Abduweli Hekim, my cousin (male), was born on September 16, 1975 in Kucha, who used to work as an accountant, responsible for the audit of the education office in Ishqiniy village. He had been working for the government until February 5, 2019, during which time he sent me a message on WeChat saying, “We cannot contact each other anymore for I may go on a long trip.” And I have not been able to obtain any information about him ever since. This “long trip” could indicate possible internment.
Dilber Damola, my aunt (my mother’s younger sister), was a nurse at the Bazaar Hospital in Kucha. She had been nursing patients for 30 years, and never harmed anyone. She was taken to an internment camp around November 2018. I learned recently (in 2021) that she was sentenced to 17 years in prison. I do not know on what charges she was given such a lengthy prison term.
Rizwangül, my uncle’s wife, who is also from Kucha, and I learned that she was also taken to an internment camp and later sentenced to prison. I have not been able to obtain any information about her charges.
My father was born on November 20, 1940. He retired from the Civil Litigation Division of People’s Court in Kucha, with whom I lost contact in 2017. Unfortunately, he died on May 31, 2018, and I learned about his passing one month after his death. I do not know the cause of his death, nor do I know about how his funeral went.
I strongly plead to the United Nations, the democratic world, and various Human Rights Organizations that more sanctions should be imposed against the Chinese regime in order to stop its genocide against the Uyghurs.
[1] Stuber, Lea. (2022, January 31). Uigurisches Paar in der Schweiz – Die Angst um die Mutter und den Bruder in China [Uyghur couple in Switzerland — The angst for the mother and brother in China]. Berner Zeitung. https://www.bernerzeitung.ch/die-angst-um-die-mutter-und-den-bruder-in-china-500304248451