.

Two by two, the Uyghur stand in long
Lines. They carry nothing to call their own,
The final destination, a great unknown,
A distant, re-education labor camp,
To spend their days and nights in toil
For state and corporate masters. Kept as slaves
Until—that’s if, escaping early graves,
They stoically renounce their faith as wrong;
Only then might they receive a stamp
Approving their return to native soil.

.

.

Cheryl Corey’s recent credits include the current issue of Iconoclast and www.grand-little-things.com. Other publications include Iambs & Trochees, Deronda, The NeoVictorian/Cochlea, The Comstock Review, Mobius, and Time of Singing. In 2007 she received 1st Place for the Dylan Thomas Award and Honorable Mention for the June Kraeft Memorial Award in The World Order of Narrative and Formalist Poets contest.

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5 Responses

  1. Joseph S. Salemi

    The genocidal intentions of the Chinese Communist Party towards the Uyghurs are now pretty solidly confirmed.

    What’s curious is the silence of so many interested parties here in the West about the matter, as if they were wary of saying anything against the proponents of “The New Silk Road” initiative.

    Reply
  2. Cheryl Corey

    Indeed. As I wrote this piece, I found it difficult to capture the true gravity of what is taking place. That story, no doubt, would best be written by its survivors. Despite centuries of war, slavery, and genocide, man’s inhumanity to man continues unabated; and as you point out, Professor Salemi, too many in our enlightened West have selective outrage.

    Reply
  3. Paul Freeman

    I get the impression the Uyghur situation did not initially get the coverage it deserved because they are a Muslim ethnic minority. However, the scale of the ethnic cleansing is mind-boggling and has brought the world up to speed.

    Thanks for bringing more attention to the Uyghur people’s plight, Cheryl.

    There was a BBC programme a couple of years back showing what goes on in these ‘Schools of Transformation’. It was scary.

    Reply
  4. Laxman rao

    What Paul freeman says UYGHURS ethnic cleansing and genocide continues, unclaimed by the origin natives of Pakistan, as if they are kith and kin of China and foes forever of India, look at the eradication- the treatment meted with that of Hindus in Pakistan – it’s the same. The silence of Pakistan should be the outrage of human – common voice.

    Reply

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