Belgian diplomat seeks ‘missing’ Xinjiang Uygurs who were led away from embassy by Chinese police
- Belgium says an official will try to ensure that mother and four children are safe after they left the embassy under murky circumstances
- Family travelled to Beijing to finalise paperwork to rejoin father in Europe but were told they could not stay in the embassy
A Belgian diplomat is expected to travel to Xinjiang in China’s far west to confirm the whereabouts of a Uygur family that was escorted from the country’s embassy in Beijing by police last month.
The disappearance of the woman and her four children has alarmed her husband, as an estimated one million ethnic Uygurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are reported to be held in internment camps in Xinjiang.
Abdulhamid Tursun, a political refugee in Belgium, said he had not heard from his family since May 31, a few days after they left the embassy under murky circumstances.
“I am worried about their safety,” he said. “I hope they can safely come to be at my side as soon as possible, and our family can reunite.”
Belgium’s decision to dispatch a diplomat to Xinjiang comes as the embassy faces criticism for allegedly enabling Chinese police to take the family back to Xinjiang.
“The case exposes the additional risk Uygurs in China face even if they want to seek help from foreign governments,” said Patrick Poon, China researcher at Amnesty International.