File: Rights advocates accuses China of launching a mass internment campaign targeting Uighurs. Photo: AA
China has sentenced a well-respected Uighur Muslim academic to life in prison on charges of"endangering state security", a US-based rights group has said. Rights advocates have accused China of launching a mass internment campaign targeting Uighurs, along with abuses such as forced sterilisation and cultural repression, termed"genocide" by some government bodies, including the US State Department.In a statement, the Dui Hua Foundation said Rahile Dawut, 57, lost her appeal against her original conviction in December 2018.
"This is believed to be the first time that a reliable source in the Chinese government has confirmed the sentence of life imprisonment," it added in last week's statement. China's state council, or cabinet, did not immediately respond to a facsimile message requesting comment.