On Sunday, December 22, over four lakh people in Hong Kong took to the streets to protest against the confinement of the Uighur Muslims and the minorities in the internment camps.

The Hong Kong riot police violently pulled down the rally, when chaos took over after a small group of protestors tried to burn the Chinese flag. The officers allegedly used pepper spray, making the crowd angry who then threw water bottles and pelted stones at them.

At the onset, the protestors were seen calmly rallying, with Uighur flags, and posters, where everyone wore masks to hide their identity.

In China’s western province, Xinjiang, as many as eight Lakh to one million Muslims and other minorities have been swept into detention camps. The Chinese government officials are of the view that the Uighurs hold extremist and separatist ideas that are looked upon as threats to China’s territorial integrity, government, and population.

“The Chinese government is control freak, and they cannot stand any opinions they disagree with. In Xinjiang, they are doing what they are doing because they have the power to do so. When they take over Hong Kong they will do the same,” Katherine, a protestor told AFP before police moved in.

On Saturday, December 21, Hong Kong riot police barged into public spaces where they chased off and arrested demonstrators.

Part of the world has rebuked the detainment of Uighur Muslims and other minorities by China. UN experts and human rights organisations have acknowledged the imprisonment of at least one million Uighur Muslims in the detention camps.

The UN has also demanded access to the camps. The European Union, on the other hand, has called on China to change its policies in Xinjiang and honour religious freedom. The disappearance of Uighurs has led the human rights organisations to urge China to shut down the internment camps immediately.

While most countries are condemning China, Muslim nations have chosen to remain silent to maintain their economic ties and strategic relationships with the former.

Also Read: Tortured, Forced To Eat Pork, Consume Alcohol: Uighur Muslims’ Tale At Chinese Detention Camps