China cables reveal 23 Australian citizens 'red-flagged' in Uighur crackdown
November 24, 2019Muslims in Xinjiang with contacts outside China have already reported being targets of Beijing’s sweeping crackdown.
Dual nationals have been rounded up and detained, despite protests from foreign relatives or diplomats representing their second nationality. Those in Xinjiang are questioned about relatives in other countries, and communication with loved ones abroad has ground to a virtual halt.
Uighurs in Australia have told the Guardian that their family members in Xinjiang have begged them not to contact them, as receiving phone calls from people outside China can raise suspicion and be grounds for arrest and detention.
Uighurs living abroad have described attempts to lure them home, often through requests from relatives, or to pressure them into spying on neighbours. Those who return to China frequently disappear into the camps.