Silencing Voices: The Complex Politics of Uyghur Activism

In the Xinjiang region of western China, the government has rounded up and detained at least hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic groups. Many haven't been heard from in years, and others are still desperately searching for their families. Western governments have called this crackdown a cultural genocide and a possible crime against humanity.

NPR Correspondent Emily Feng has been reporting on Uyghurs inside and outside of China for years. In this episode, she profiles two Uyghur men who have found themselves sometimes unwilling actors within the Chinese state's systems of control over Uyghurs. As they work to silence others, they sometimes find themselves silenced as well.

Additional Context:
Listen to Emily Feng's 2022 reporting, "The Black Gate: A Uyghur Family's Story" part one and part two.

For more on the history of the Uyghur people, listen to the episode "Five Fingers Crush The Land" from NPR's Throughline podcast.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy