Rumours of forced labour stand baseless, as the Uyghur Muslims are enjoying prosperity, Gwadar Pro reported on Thursday. Ample provision of employment opportunities, professional training programs, abundant municipal facilities and mainstreaming are among the main reasons for the socio-economic growth of the local Uyghur Muslims, who account for 98% of the total population of Kashgar, China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. As a Pakistani journalist and President of Think Tank “Institute of International Relations and Media Research”, during my visit to “Jiashi Drinking Water Safety Engineering Project”, I noticed two important points, which allowed me to understand how the local Uyghur Muslims live and work in peace and contentment under the guidance of the local leadership. Jiashi County is a county under the jurisdiction of Kashgar City, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China. There was once a lack of drinking water here.

Local residents are forced to drink unsafe water that poses a health hazard. Eventually, with the financial support of the Chinese government, the safe drinking water project was established in 2019 and the drinking water problem was solved in 2020. Talking to “Jiashi Drinking Water Safety Engineering Project” Director Han Huskies, he noted that it is an important step toward raising living standards and helping people escape poverty. “After the drinking water safety project for urban and rural areas of Jiashi County was completed, all the drinking water pumped wells were made defunct, further saving the groundwater resources and protecting the ecology,” he added. He said that with the solution to the drinking water problem, Jiashi's economy is booming, and the catering and tourism industries are changing with each passing day. Answering the question, he said local Uyghur Muslims are also beneficiary of employments in the project. Most workers and officials are Uyghur Muslims, he added.

“Here comes also the role of China’ vocational education and training centers. Having trained there, Uyghur Muslims are becoming well-equipped with modern skills to fit for merits of jobs.” “This is also the role of China’s vocational education and training centers. After receiving training there, Uyghur Muslims have been equipped with many modern skills to adapt to the workplace.” Another milestone achievement, which has proven to be a game-changer in the lives of local Uyghur Muslims, is the operation of the Jiashi County Yuejia Plum Industrial Park. Jiashi County Yuejia Plum Industrial Park is located in Yingbaili Township, 4.8 kilometers away from the county seat and 15 kilometers away from Kamai Expressway. It has convenient transportation and provides jobs for local Uyghur Muslims.

Contrary to the venomous rumors in the West about Uyghur forced labor, as a Pakistani reporter, I witnessed and met Uyghur Muslims in the Jiashi County Yuejia Plum Industrial Park who have been working according to their own will and who believe in working conditions, wages and professional training It has completely changed their lives. In 2022, Gashi County cultivated plums (including apricots and plums) over a total area of 450,000 acres, with a fruiting area of 230,000 acres, making it the country's largest production and marketing base for plums. The Industrial Park represents a total investment of 380 million yuan and spans a total planning area of 364 acres, with a construction area of 100,000 square meters.

It encompasses existing scientific and technological research and development areas, planting demonstration areas, cold chain warehousing and sorting areas, processing and production areas, and supporting services, among other functional areas. The aim is to establish a modern Plum Industrial Park integrating scientific research, teaching, training, processing, cold chain, warehousing, and logistics. Upon completion, the industrial park is expected to have the capacity to grade 100,000 tonnes of fresh fruits, store 23,500 tonnes of fresh fruits, and provide seasonal employment for more than 5,000 people.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China