Uighur Graduate Student Studying in Korea Missing in Hong Kong... Possibly Repatriated to China

At the Airport, Last Text Saying "Interrogated by Chinese Police"
International Organization Expresses Concerns Over Illegal Repatriation or Detention

A student from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, who came to South Korea for university studies, has gone missing in Hong Kong. There are also suspicions that he may have been arrested by Chinese authorities and forcibly taken away.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on the 27th (local time), citing the human rights organization Amnesty International, that "A (38), a Uyghur from Xinjiang who visited Hong Kong to meet a friend, has been out of contact since the 10th."

The last message A sent to his friend stated, "I have arrived at Hong Kong airport and am being interrogated by Chinese police."

International Amnesty
Photo by EPA Yonhap

Amnesty International stated, "It appears that A is on an overseas Uyghur blacklist managed by the Chinese government," and expressed growing concerns that he may have been illegally repatriated to China without due legal process, or could be arbitrarily detained and tortured.

The Hong Kong government has not commented on A's disappearance.

A, originally from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, graduated from a university in China and came to South Korea in 2009 to obtain a master's degree. It is known that since November 2019, he has been pursuing a doctoral program in Sports Humanities and Social Sciences at Kookmin University Graduate School.

He actively participated in activities related to community sports, such as attending policy discussions on professional football held at the National Assembly and meeting with K League officials and football fans, which he also shared on his Instagram.

The Uyghurs formed a nomadic state in the Mongolian region for about 100 years from the mid-8th century. However, in 840, they were attacked by the Kyrgyz and dispersed in all directions. Currently, most Uyghurs are concentrated in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region in northwest China.

The Uyghurs developed a complex and unique culture combining nomadic and agricultural lifestyles, which they have maintained for a long time. Because of this, since the 1930s, they have engaged in ethnic movements to establish the East Turkestan Republic independent from China, leading to ongoing conflicts with the Chinese government.

In response, Western countries and the United Nations have criticized the Chinese government for widespread human rights abuses against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang, including through "re-education camps." According to investigations by international organizations, since 2017, the Chinese government has forcibly detained between 800,000 and 2 million Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang.

Last year, the United Nations classified the actions of Chinese authorities in Xinjiang as "crimes against humanity" in a report. It stated that forced labor involving minorities, torture, forced abortions, and even massacres are occurring in the autonomous region.

However, the Chinese government has denied these claims, stating they are "based on false information and lies fabricated by anti-China forces," continuing to clash with the West.