Refugees And Migrants / World Politics

'It's all just static' - Uyghurs and Kazakhs detained in Xinjiang

05:00 am on 29 May 2023

(L)Jewher Ilham, author and advocate for the Uyghur community and for her imprisoned father, Uyghur economist Ilham Tohti. (R)Abduweli Ayup, writer and linguist and promoter of linguistic rights and Uyghur language education Photo: Supplied

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Across Xinjiang, the United Nations and human rights groups estimate that since 2017 more than a million Kazakhs and Uyghurs have been arbitrarily detained. China denies these accusations, saying the camps are voluntary vocational and de-radicalisation programmes.

Rizwangul NurMuhammed holding photos of her brother, Maiwulana- detained in Xinjiang for the past four years. Photo: Supplied

In Auckland, Rizwangul NurMuhammed (Riz), from the Uyghur community, still hopes for news of her brother after he was arrested in 2017 in China. 

Maiwulana was arrested on charges of separatism - charges Riz denies - and detained ever since in Xinjiang. 

Rizwangul first featured in Voices in 2021. 

In this episode of Voices, Kadambari Raghukumar talks to the people behind a new documentary called All Static and Noise.

Directed by David Novak and produced by Janice Englebert, the film makes its world premier in New Zealand on June 1 at the Doc Edge Festival.

This episode of Voices features the filmmakers, one of the protagonists, Jewher Ilham, and Rizwangul NurMuhammed. Jewher's father, Ilham Tohti has been held incommunicado since 2017 with no access to his family or lawyers.

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FOLLOW Voices on Apple Podcasts, SpotifyiHeart Radio or wherever you listen to your podcasts.