Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the World: Xinjiang authorities demand Uyghurs report guests within hours, Indigenous midwives in Panama strive to protect traditional medicine, and Nalderun students receive educational and cultural support.
CHINA: Uyghurs told to report guests immediately
Authorities in at least two regions of Xinjiang have recently intensified a mandate requiring Uyghurs to inform police about guests in their homes within 10 minutes to two hours of their arrival, according to three Uyghur township government officials, Radio Free Asia reported on July 23.
Initially implemented in June 2015, this policy has been increasingly enforced under the leadership of Ma Xingrui, who became the Communist Party secretary of Xinjiang in December 2021. The requirement is part of a broader set of strict surveillance measures by Chinese authorities aimed at closely monitoring Uyghur activities, amidst widespread human rights abuses in the region that the United States and some Western parliaments have characterized as genocide and crimes against humanity. China has denied these allegations.
Some Uyghurs have commented online, attributing the Chinese authorities’ focus on Uyghur gatherings to government oppression, while others speculate the primary motive is to suppress information about the ongoing genocide in Xinjiang. A recent incident involved a resident of Yengisheher county in Kashgar prefecture, who, along with his wife, was detained at the Yapchan village police station for failing to report the arrival of a relative from Ghulja. The couple was released after a night of interrogation, and their guest, feeling the pressure, ended the visit early and returned home. The guest remarked, “It’s like this everywhere,” suggesting similar practices are enforced in Ghulja as well.
A local police officer confirmed the couple’s arrest and release. In Guma County of neighboring Hotan prefecture, police have stated the requirement to report newly arrived guests is being more strictly enforced than before. In Kokterak township, residents are required to notify authorities of out-of-town guests within two hours of their arrival, and neighbors within one hour.
In Choda township, residents must report guests to the police within 10 minutes, with the expectation that any failure to do so within 30 minutes could lead to consequences, though specifics were not provided.
“If the guests stay for more than half an hour, they need to be reported,” an officer explained, emphasizing that this rule applies to any number of guests and has been strictly enforced since the beginning of the year, according to Radio Free Asia. Visitors, including teenagers as young as 14, must be reported. The officer added that, to his knowledge, no Uyghurs have been detained for “re-education” solely for failing to report visitors.
PANAMA: Indigenous health practices at risk
Deep within the Ngäbe-Buglé Indigenous territory in western Panama, the rainforest thrives, and industrial traces are rare. Dirt roads meander up muddy hills to wooden homes crowned with palm-thatched roofs. Here, women carry babies on their backs in straw bags woven from vegetable fibers known as chácaras or krä. Unbeknownst to many outsiders, this verdant landscape also harbors traditional medicine for pregnant women, Mongabay reported on July 25.
The Ngäbe-Buglé people have a rich cultural heritage, particularly evident in their birthing rituals. For generations, they have used traditional medicines made from local trees, herbs, roots and leaves to manage pregnancy and childbirth. These natural remedies, often administered by midwives or traditional medicine doctors, are a vital part of their cultural practices.
However, there is growing concern that the knowledge and availability of these medicinal plants are at risk of being lost. Factors such as deforestation, large-scale agriculture, climate change, and the encroachment of Western medicine are altering the landscape of the Ngäbe-Buglé territory, threatening these traditions. To combat this, the Ngäbe Association of Agents of Traditional and Natural Health is working to preserve these ancestral practices and plants.
“The traditional medicines we use during pregnancy and at birth are produced in the forested mountains, and those forests aren’t there anymore,” said Silvia Salina, a co-founder and director of the association. She explained that many of these plants grow wild and cannot be cultivated in nurseries, making conservation efforts crucial.
Founded in 1998, the Ngäbe Association of Agents of Traditional and Natural Health initially aimed to provide basic health and hygiene services to the Ngäbe-Buglé territory. Recognizing the need to train younger women as midwives, the organization focuses on teaching the use of medicinal plants for pain relief and easing childbirth. The comarca, a dense rainforest and mountainous region, is Panama’s largest and most impoverished Indigenous territory, with over 60 percent of its 215,000 residents living in extreme poverty. For those in remote areas, access to health clinics is limited, making the association’s services vital.
The Ngäbe Association of Agents of Traditional and Natural Health’s 25 years of work has been supported by intermittent funding, but the organization largely relies on volunteer midwives and traditional medicine doctors. Despite limited resources, it has multiple departments and has trained hundreds of practitioners across the comarca. A recent initiative, the Manchichi program, has provided additional training and equipment for midwives, although it has not brought additional funding.
Without more support, the association’s future and the preservation of traditional medicinal plants are at risk. “Usually, it is the people in the comarca with the least amount of resources that come directly to us for medicine and assistance during pregnancy,” said Patricia Mendoza, the association’s general secretary.
AUSTRALIA: Nalderun students receive support
Indigenous secondary students will benefit from personalized education and cultural enrichment following a $20,000 grant awarded to the Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation, the National Indigenous Times reported on July 27.
Nalderun has been awarded a grant from Bank Australia’s annual Customer Community Grant program, one of 12 recipients this year. Rick Nelson, the corporation’s cultural advisor and Men’s Business coordinator, who is also a proud Dja Dja Wurrung Elder, explained that Nalderun means ‘all together’ in the Dja Dja Wurrung language. “We believe by moving forward together, we can make the change needed for First Nations youth to thrive,” Nelson said.
Kathryn Coff, CEO of Nalderun, expressed her gratitude for the support from Bank Australia. She highlighted the importance of connecting First Nations youth with local elders, culture, country and each other. “Through this, we can provide meaningful relationships and support them to be proud, and know how deadly they really are,” Coff said.
The grants from Bank Australia are intended to support community customers who create positive change through their services and programs. Jane Kern, the bank’s head of impact management, expressed the institution’s enthusiasm for supporting organizations like Nalderun, which make a significant difference.
“Our customers tell us First Nations recognition and respect are important to them, and we know the impact these grants can have to support these great organisations,” she remarked, according to National Indigenous Times. “We’re proud to support Nalderun so they can continue their important work.”
Bank Australia’s Impact Fund allocates a portion of its annual after-tax profit to support programs, projects and organizations that aim to create a positive impact.
This year’s grants also supported initiatives focused on climate action, LGBTIQ+ inclusion, and gender equality. Since the program’s inception in 2016, Bank Australia has pledged over $2 million, supporting 149 projects in total.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in China, where the requirement for Uyghurs in Xinjiang to report guests in their homes to police within a very short time frame raises significant human rights concerns.
I condemn this measure for several reasons. Firstly, it constitutes a severe invasion of privacy, as it denies individuals the basic right to private, unmonitored interactions in their own homes.
Secondly, it is a discriminatory practice, targeting Uyghurs specifically and reflecting a broader pattern of discrimination and repression against this ethnic group. Such policies exacerbate marginalization and stigmatization.
Additionally, this requirement serves as a form of intimidation and control, creating an atmosphere of fear and mistrust, and limiting free association and communication among individuals. It is part of a broader spectrum of human rights violations in the region, including mass surveillance, arbitrary detention, and cultural suppression.
As a way forward, international condemnation and advocacy are crucial, with governments, human rights organizations, and international bodies continuing to raise awareness and put pressure on the Chinese government to respect human rights and international norms. Diplomatic engagement should also be pursued to advocate for the protection of minority rights and the cessation of discriminatory practices.
It is important to provide support for the victims of these policies, including legal assistance, asylum for those fleeing persecution, and support for diaspora communities. Ongoing monitoring and reporting are essential to document abuses and hold perpetrators accountable, potentially supporting international legal actions.
Ultimately, dialogue and reconciliation are necessary to foster understanding and respect for diversity within China, ensuring that all ethnic and religious groups can live without fear of repression.
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