Global Times reporters on Monday visits the Sultanim “cemetery” mentioned in a CNN report. It was less than 10 meters away from residential houses. Photo: Liu Xin/GT
Children play around the residential area. Their parents do not want them to go near the cemetery. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/GT
An official from Hotan local government, who preferred to be called Maizi, told the Global Times that many residents complained to the government about these graves.
The Global Times reporters also found the place where these graves were relocated - a public cemetery in Buzhage county. The facility of the cemetery is still a work in progress and it is about 10 to 15 minutes of driving from the downtown area.
Maizi said that relevant departments made a public notice to help trace family members of innominate graves in Sultanim cemetery. And after two months, they relocated these innominate graves to the new place. The tracing work is ongoing.
Graves from the Sultanim “cemetery” have been relocated to a public cemetery, a place 10 to 15 minutes drive from downtown Hotan. Photo: Fan Lingzhi/GT
Reziwangul, 40, who happened to be in a newly built public cemetery to commemorate her mother who passed away a dozens days ago, told the Global Times that she relocated her father's grave to the new place 10 months ago. Her parents' graves are close to each other now.
Reziwangul confirmed to the Global Times that her local government helped her family to relocate her father's grave for free and in accordance with their traditional rituals.
Tursuniyazi Ashim, 53, an official from Hotan civil affairs bureau, told the Global Times that at least 400 mu (more than 266,666 square meters) of land have been designated as new public cemeteries for ethnic groups in Hotan to meet residents' demands.
Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region fully respects the rights of ethnic groups and has taken a series of measures, including allocating specific areas for public cemeteries, to protect their rights, a regional spokesperson told the Global Times in an exclusive interview on Friday.