INKTOBER

Since 2014, millions of Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other minorities have been locked up in China and subjected to torture and forced labour. Some of those freed talk about trying to rebuild their lives in neighbouring Kazakhstan.

Photography by Robin Tutenges

A Chinese course book

Saliman Yesbolat used to live in Ghulja county, Xinjiang. After she refused to denounce her Uyghur neighbours to the police, she was forced to perform the raising of the Chinese flag every Monday at dawn, and to attend Chinese lessons twice a week in the basement of her building, where she would learn the Chinese language, patriotic songs and Xi Jinping's discourses by heart. This is her exercise book.

Forced to leave China

At 65, Imam Madi Toleukhan is one of the oldest refugees in Bekbolat, Kazakhstan, where more than 100 families took shelter after fleeing the Chinese regime. 'We were richer back there. I owned a herd, but I was too afraid for my sons, my grandchildren and their future: I came to Kazakhstan to save them. I didn't want them to be the fourth generation to suffer at the hands of the Chinese government, he says.

Remembering Uyghur culture in exile

Two members of the Dolan Ensemble, a Uyghur dance troupe based in Kazakhstan, get ready before performing a traditional dance to mark 40 days since the birth of a baby. Founded in 2016, the troupe performs at festivals or private events that bring together members of the Uyghur community, some of whom have had to leave Xinjiang.

Torture, infertility and damaged genitalia

In Kazakhstan, medical care for camp survivors is poor. Most victims can barely afford to see a family doctor. Anara*, an endocrinologist in a Kazakh hospital who has examined about 50 camp survivors since 2020, noticed recurrent infertility problems among her patients. 'Men or women, many have damaged genitalia. Some told me they'd been given drugs, others said they'd been raped. As they didn't come to us right after being released from the camps, it's impossible to know what kind of drugs they were administered in Xinjiang, she says. *Not her real name

The tiger chair

Ospan* spent a year in a re-education camp. He says his mind and body were crushed by the tortures he experienced in a tiger chair - a steel apparatus with handcuffs that restrains the body in painful positions. Aged about 50, this former shepherd, who took refuge with his family in eastern Kazakhstan, is no longer fit for work. Physically wrecked and prone to headaches, he mourns the loss of his memory above all. 'I used to know a lot of songs and I loved to sing; I also knew poems by heart ... Now, I can't sing any more, I can't remember the words,' he says. *Not his real name

Broken families and imprisonment

Aikamal Rashibek saw the dreadful efficiency of the CCP's brainwashing on her husband, Kerimbek Bakytali, after he was released from a Chinese psychiatric hospital. 'He disappeared for a year. When he came back, he didn't tell me anything about what happened to him. He was highly unhinged, always nervous, and got angry whenever I asked questions. He couldn't stop repeating that he hated Kazakhstan now, and that he wanted to go back to China with the kids to give them a Chinese education, says Aikamal. They are now separated.

Missing loved ones in China’s camps

In March 2017, Miyessar Muhedamu, left, a Uyghur woman, was arrested in Xinjiang under the pretext that she had studied Arabic in Egypt when she was young. Her husband, Sadirzhan Ayupov, right, and her three children have not seen her since. Now that Miyessar has left the camp, Sadirzhan receives a short call every few months. He suspects she might have suffered abuse, yet Miyessar can’t speak freely. ‘She told me she’d been in a re-education camp, and that she’d been released. When I ask her what she went through there, she doesn’t answer,’ says Sadirzhan.

Life after fleeing China

Sent to a re-education camp in 2018 at the age of 64, Yerke* saw her health quickly deteriorate. Locked a tiny cell with dozens of other women, she almost lost the use of her legs due to the cold floor she had to lie on. She was in the camp when she learned of her son’s death: pressured by the Chinese authorities, he took his own life. After her release, Yerke fled to Kazakhstan with some family members, but two of her children remain in China. *Not her real name

Forced labour and confessions

Dina Nurdybay, 32, was arrested in Nilka county, Xinjiang, because her traditional Kazakh clothing business made her a separatist, according to the Chinese authorities. She spent 11 months between two re-education camps, a CCP school and a forced-labour sewing factory. After proving she was capable of being ‘well behaved’ and having performed a self-criticism in front of the whole village, Dina was released and managed to escape when she obtained a week’s leave to visit her ailing father in Kazakhstan.

Cultural genocide

China’s repression of ethnic minorities also involves cultural genocide. As Muslim rituals are forbidden in Xinjiang, people are trying to keep their traditions alive across borders. Here, a family is praying together in Kazakhstan after the death of one of their relatives in Xinjiang. They could not repatriate the body because the border between the two countries was closed at the time.

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carrot and stick.

пиріг і батіг.

OCs: Compere and Lady.

Персонажі: Конферансьє та Пані.

My entry for the #/Tisha_dtiys (on Instagram)! It was funny to draw PGM6, I really like the result.😁 In search of references for this character, I came across the one which I thought it'd be interesting to draw it, so here you are! Thanks, @/tishaimara, for this dtiys!

Участь у #/Tisha_dtiys (в інстаґрамі)! Малювати PGM6 було весело, результат мені дійсно до вподоби.😁

У пошуках референсів для цього персонажа, мені трапився такий, що, як мені здалося, було би цікаво намалювати, тож ось.) Дякую, @/tishaimara, за цей dtiys!

Middle East Eye

Syria’s civilians are increasingly forgotten as humanitarian aid dries out

The Islamic State and drug kingpins fill the void as desperate civilians look for alternatives to feed themselves

The millions of civilians in need of humanitarian aid in Syria are bracing themselves for dwindling international help this year, after the World Food Programme (WFP) has ended its mandate for the country as of 2024.  The Syrian government last week extended its approval for cross-border United Nations humanitarian aid to be delivered through a crossing with Turkey for another six months.  The mechanism is an attempt by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad government to enhance his legitimacy in the eyes of the international community since Russia, a main backer of Assad, blocked UN Security Council resolution to use the Bab al-Hawa crossing in July, forcing international partners to work with Damascus. 

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Long post about so-called Ukrainian “xenophobia” towards russians. If you’re not from East Europe\Ukraine - PLEASE, READ IT.

Me and my friends are really tired from seeing shit like this, so here’s simplest explanation to (almost) every popular agrument and answer to it.

Starting with definition. Xenophobia = hate for something foreign just because it is foreign. We DO NOT hate russians just because they're russians.

We hate russians for their warcrimes: both of the past and present.

(Litteraly the day I wrote this thread on Twitter it was another missile attack in the morning)

To put it plane and simple: russians and everything russia related aren't bad for just being russian: russians and everything russia related are bad because they destroying our lifes, cities, kill, rape, stole, occupy, torture and etc.

"But not every russian is related to military! Most of them against war!"

Oh? Really?

But even without numbers: you need to understand that more often so-called anti war russians are just ignorant to what their country doing. Be against war isn't about just words and position - it's about proving your position action. And by taking none since 2014, russians made it clear that they're okay with war.

"Anti war" russians most likely still paying taxes, and those money lately goes to army. "Anti war" russians, again, didn't do anything to stop war. Hell, most of liberal russians are direct imperialists.

So, if you see russian online and even if they're proclame themselves to be antiwar, in 99% cases they aren't.

Also, I simplifying most of things to better understanding, but you also need to know that without context of East Europe\russia-Ukraine conflict history a lot of imperialistic russian shit can pass though your ears. Just be aware of it.

"But how can they do anything against in such authoritarian country!"

Let's head back to simple math. According to russian sources, there was almost 15k detained (note: detained =\= convicted) for anti-war actions.

It all may sound scary... Until you look at looses of ru army.

So it is MUCH more safer in russia to be anti-war that is to be pro-war. Does it bother russians? Not at all.

and don't get me started on how lame it is for country with 144 million population to be afraid of abvously much lesser police force)

***

So, in summary:

Ukranians don't hate russians for being russians. Ukranians hate russians for being bloodthursty, ignorant mass who actively support war and\or don't do a shit to stop it.

Most russians, even "good" ones - likely a war supporter. Yes, they may not a straight forward z-one, but almost 100% an ignorant person who supports war by their money and absence of action against it.

We, Ukranians, have neither the strength nor the desire to look for a needle in our son's haystack.

Keep it in mind and please, do not get into conflicts, the nature and context of which you do not understand. Thanks for reading.

P.S Also there's a really good thread on Twitter that looks over this as a question of basic empathy, so please read it as well.

P.S.S And feel free to ask questions.

I was listening to an interview about Ukraine and the interviewer was talking how there's no empathy for russian soldiers "not asking for sympathy for the Russians as an invading force, but empathy for humans" is the direct quote and while yes empathy for humans should exist, highlighting this in this context is bizzare. He then follows saying that these are young soldiers and the west is celebrating when "they are sent to their mothers" (meaning celebrating their deaths).

And what struck me the most is him saying this: "Soldiers who've been sent to war not by their choice, they follow military, they follow orders". Quick question: how do you think defeated nazi soldiers were trying to avoid punishment for their war crimes? What "argument" was real popular, don't you remember? This exact "argument" is the reason why International Law actually explicitly states that if a higher ups in the war are forcing a soldier to execute unlawful acts, the soldier has the right and responsibility to refuse this order. In International Law "I was following orders" is not an admissible argument. If the Russian soldiers don't want to commit war crimes, they are, by law, obliged to refuse the orders. Yet the Russian army still stands, still committing war crimes in Ukraine. But yeah, poor russian young boys sent to their mothers…

Yes I do have empathy for brainwashed and indoctrinated youth of an authoritarian state, no I don't have empathy for war criminals.

One year ago russia blew up the Nova Kakhovka Dam.

nice redstone gremlin

✨️Impossible✨️ art challenge was won by two of my OCs.😎 Actually, I have more original characters (for abt 20), but most of the others aren't as thought-out as these. The first post in 2024, btw.

🫶🏻

✨️Неможливий✨️ арт-челендж переможений двома моїми OC.😎 Насправді у мене більше оригінальних персонажів (приблизно 20), але більшість інших не такі продумані, як ці. Перший пост у 2024, до речі.)

Yapper & Listener trend!

OCs: Heart and Brain.

New OCs alert!😄