Beijing [China], January 22 : Chinese authorities have shut down water wells dug by Uyghur farmers in three villages near a large desert in Xinjiang, calling them illegal, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported.
The villages, including one called Achchiq, are situated in Yopurgha County, which is part of the Kashgar Prefecture. Almost the entire population of the county, located on the western edge of the vast Taklamakan Desert, is made up of Uyghurs, RFA reported.
The comes after discovery of 46 illegal wells dug in another area of Xinjiang, many by Han Chinese settlers to grow cotton and vegetables, depleting water reserves. However, Chinese authorities have not take action on those wells.
According to RFA, recent videos shared by Zumrat Dawut, a former Uyghur internment camp detainee now living in Virginia, show the destruction of wells built by Uyghur farmers in Achchiq village. The footage reveals authorities forcing farmers to fill in the wells they had dug to help address the region's severe water shortage.
Many see this response as harsh and damaging to the local community. Dawut, who monitors evidence of China's repression of Uyghurs, often gathers videos from Chinese social media, including state-run platforms, and shares them globally, particularly on Facebook, where they attract significant attention, RFA reported.
RFA further reported that the security director of Achchiq village acknowledged that authorities had closed "illegal" wells in three villages. He mentioned his involvement in the well-closing operations in villages 6, 7, and 8, which began in February 2024. However, he could not comment on how these closures might affect local residents.
Additionally, another security director from Terim village in Yopurgha County confirmed the closure of wells dug by Uyghur residents, forcing them to purchase water from the Chinese autonomous region Production and Construction Corps (Bingtuan), a state-run organization. These actions have raised concerns about the growing strain on the community's access to water and resources.
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