A mosque in Kashi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opens to the public. Photo: Shan Jie/GT

Some foreign "celebrities" who may have never been to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region seem to be blinded by fake news and affected by unfounded charges in their judgment, a senior official from Xinjiang said at a press conference while refuting some latest rumors spread on overseas social media.

Some online celebrities from the US and Europe attacked China's Xinjiang policies on social media platforms and Chinese netizens criticized them for "deceiving by rumors without truly knowing what happened in Xinjiang."

"We welcome those 'celebrities' to visit Xinjiang. As long as they have conscience, can distinguish between truth and falsehood and uphold the principle of fairness and objectivity, they will see a true Xinjiang," Guli Abulm, spokesperson of the information office of the Xinjiang regional government said at a press conference on Friday.

Guli said that "Xinjiang is an inseparable part of Chinese territory, and has been under administration of China ever since the Western Han Dynasty. In Chinese history, Xinjiang has never been called 'East Turkistan,' and never has there been any so-called 'East Turkistan.'"

Guli noted that the first national census in 1953 registered over 3 million Uygurs and the Uygur population exceeded 10 million according to the latest census.

"I do want to raise this question, How can the statistics explain the so-called 'genocide,'" Guli said, noting the term has been frequently seen in some Western media's reports. 

 

On the Friday conference, Guli also noted a manga named "What has happened to me-A testimony of a Uygur woman" draw by Japanese artist Tomomi Shimizu .

The graphic novel tells the story of Mihrigul Tursun, a Uygur woman from Xinjiang who claimed she had been prosecuted after escaping from a vocational training center in Xinjiang.

"We have clarified the facts to refute the lies of Mihrigul Tursun for multiple times and I would like to clarify the facts again," Guli said.

She said that Mihrigul Tursun used to be a resident in Qiemo county of Bayangol Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang. She registered for marriage with an Iranian in China in August 2010. In January 2012, she registered for marriage with an Egyptian in Egypt. She gave birth to three children in Egypt and two of her children were registered for permanent residence in China in October 2015.

In March 2018, Mihrigul's Egyptian husband told the public security bureau of Qiemo that Mihrigul had acquired Egyptian nationality. On April 22, 2019, Mihrigul and her husband left China with their children. 

On April 21, 2017, Mihrigul was taken into custody by the public security bureau of Qiemo county on suspicion of inciting ethnic hatred and discrimination. During this period, she was found to have syphilis. 

"Out of humanitarian consideration, the public security bureau of Qiemo terminated the compulsory measures against her on May 10, 2017. Apart from the 20 days of criminal detention, Mihrigul was totally free during her stay in China," Guli said. 



"In a nut shell, Mihrigul has never been detained by police in Urumqi. Nether has she been jailed or received penitentiary education in any vocational education and training center," Guli said.

Mihrigul also claimed that she "witnessed the death of nine women during her detention" and the "police put her in a cell with more than 50 women."

Guli said that "I do not know on what grounds are these lies based."

"The Japanese cartoonist did not know the truth about Xinjiang. I'd like to take this opportunity to tell her that Xinjiang is a good place. Xinjiang now enjoys social stability, economic development, culture diversity, ethnic unity, religious harmony and beautiful scenery," Guli said.

She invited Tomomi Shimizu to visit Xinjiang to see a true Xinjiang rather than the imagination based on lies.