Graphic shows birth rate in Xinjiang versus the whole of China from 1951 to 2019.
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CHINA

Beleid in Xinjiang brengt geboortecijfer Oeigoeren naar beneden

By Jordi Bou

May 13, 2021 - Coercive policies in China’s region of Xinjiang have led to a sharp decline in birth rates for Uyghurs and other minorities, which could add to evidence of genocide, according to an Australian think tank.

A report from the Australian Strategy Policy Institute, found the birthrate across Xinjiang fell by 48.74% between 2017 and 2019.

In counties where the population was at least 90% non-Han Chinese, the birthrate dropped by an average 56.5% between 2017 and 2018. By examining county-level statistics, the report provided further evidence of “the systematic targeting” of communities, it said

Over the past four years, the Chinese authorities have carried out a brutal campaign of forced assimilation targeting the Uyghurs, an ethnic Turkic minority native to Xinjiang.

China maintains that changes in birth rates are linked to improved health and economic policy and it strongly rejects accusations of genocide.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 13/05/2021; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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