The words “concentration camp” might remind people of the Holocaust, the genocide of European Jews on a mass scale during World War II. Shockingly, however, concentration camps are not just a thing of the past.  

In China’s Xinjiang province, Uyghur Muslims are being detained in concentration camps. In these camps, the Uyghur Muslims face labor, mass sterilization, physical torture, and sexual assault, as stated in, “Concentration camps and forced labor” an article published on vox.com.  

Uyghur Muslims are ethnically Turkic Muslims from the central Asian region, and the majority live in Xinjiang. Xinjiang is located far west of China. Many still identify it as its former name, East Turkestan. 

“People should be spreading awareness, it’s not okay that this is happening in 2020,”  said Lilian Velasquez, a junior.

The Chinese government has continuously denied any claims of running concentration camps. Instead, they are describing them as “Vocational training” programs to teach the Uyghur population about Chinese history, language, and culture.  

On Instagram, there is leaked footage showing the Muslims being taken advantage of, tied up like prisoners, https://www.instagram.com/reel/CC7tmY5npZB/ 

There are many people who are devastated and feel helpless, but people are using their platforms to spread awareness and show others that they should take a stand. 

“All humans are to blame for not standing up!” said Abubakar Shahbaz, a sophomore student from Buffalo University. 

Students and staff can visit this link to sign a petition requesting the United Nations’ aid to free the Uyghur Muslims:
https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-petition-to-free-to-muslims-in-chinese-concentration-camps