Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Twitter Saturday removed a tweet from Chinese Embassy in the United States that boasted about how China brought about the “emancipation” of Uyghur women who were no longer “baby-making machines.”
The social media giant said the tweet violated Twitter’s policies on dehumanisation. The tweet had sparked controversy with people commenting that it was an official acknowledgement by China of oppression against Uyghur.
“After further review we have taken action on this Tweet for violating our rules against dehumanization,” a Twitter spokeswoman told Ars on Friday evening. “We prohibit the dehumanization of a group of people based on their religion, race, or ethnicity, among other categories.”
The deleted tweet of the Chinese embassy had said: “Study shows that in the process of eradicating extremism, the minds of Uygur [sic] women in Xinjiang were emancipated and gender equality and reproductive health were promoted, making them no longer baby-making machines. They are more confident and independent.”
People pointed out that the tweet was a further proof of the claims that China subjected the Uyghir population held in detention centres to forced sterilisation. China has defended the policy terming it as “re-education” of the Muslim minority in the eastern Xinjang region to fight against “extremism”.
Commenting on the controversial tweet, Sam Brownback, the US envoy on international religious freedom, said he was “appalled and disgusted” by the remarks.
Appalled and disgusted at lies of the @ChineseEmbinUS. Mass detention is not emancipation. Coercive population control is not reproductive health care. Uyghur women deserve to enjoy their religious freedom and unalienable rights with dignity to make their own choices.
— Ambassador Sam Brownback (@IRF_Ambassador) January 8, 2021
“Coercive population control is not reproductive healthcare,” Brownback wrote on Twitter. He condemned the mass detention, adding, “Uighur women deserve to enjoy their religious freedom and unalienable rights with dignity to make their own choices.”
The controversial Tweet cited an article which said that a study by Xinjiang Development Research Centre has found that “eradication of extremism” has led to more autonomy of Uyghur women.
However, evidence and testimonies collated by independent media in the west have found a sharp decline in birth rate among Uygur held in the camps.
China has been accused of obliterating Muslim identity markers of the Uygurs in last several years in its fight against “extremism”.
