The desperate Chinese refugees in Kazakhstan are struggling to survive

The USA, Canada, Australia, and some European countries such as Lithuania, Kosovo, Belgium, Denmark and Estonia, and India from Asia boycotted the Chinese winter Olympic games diplomatically in 2022. The athletes could participate in this event, but officials, will not attend. Even though they all gave different reasons for boycotting, their main concern was the human rights violations and brutal treatment of Muslim minorities in Chinese concentration camps.

Before this boycott, some countries labelled Chinese atrocities as genocide. The Biden administration also accused China of genociding Chinese Muslim minorities. Many countries sanctioned China because of torturing Muslim minorities and sterilizing women to prevent birth and persecution. 

Today in Kazakhstan live five refugees who were inmates of Chinese concentration camps. They are struggling to formalize travel documents to another country. My hero Kaster Musakahuly shares his experiences in Kazakhstan.

Kaster Musakhanuly, an ethnic Kazakh refugee in Kazakhstan:

WE WERE AFRAID OF BEING REJECTED AND SENT BACK

An ethnic Kazakh, Kaster Musakhanuly, has been living in Kazakhstan for three years. But unfortunately, he thinks it is not life; it is just a helpless way to survive. 

Kaster (left) and Murager are explaining their current situation for journalists. Photo from Kaster Musakhanuly’s archive

Kaster Musakhanuly, 32, was born in Xinjiang province in China, where the fatherland of mainly ethnic Muslim minorities like Kazakhs and Uyghurs. The energetic and hopeful young man had so many dreams for the future. However, his bright dreams were broken by the local government authorities when he participated in the protests together with his Uyghur friend.

 When two Uyghurs were killed in 2009, ethnic Uyghurs protested the government’s national policy. After a few years, in 2013, Kaster was charged guilty and spent four years of his life in a Chinese prison. Even though he reached his freedom in 2017, he was detained under a conditional sentence and remained there for five years. 

China started to build its educational camps at that time, and Muslim minorities were «re-educating» and «de-radicalizing». BBC reports that approximately a million men and women have been detained in these camps. 

«I’ve heard that the local officials would prison me again; I spent around five years in these camps even though I was innocent. I wouldn’t be jailed again; that’s why I decided to flee from China to Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is my ancestors’ fatherland, and I was hoping to find my happiness in this country.

In addition, Kazakhstan has its migrants program, which addresses Ethnic Kazakhs worldwide. Some of our relatives now live here, and most settled very successfully.   So, my friend Murager and I crossed the border illegally in October 2019″. 

However, unfortunately, their life in Kazakhstan started with the court again. According to Kazakhstani law, it doesn’t matter what condition led them to flee from their origin country; breaking down the Kazakhstani border means they are guilty. So, then they were prisoned for a year. 

 «It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had. We were afraid of being rejected and sent back. The worst thing was waiting for the Kazakhstani government’s decision about our future destiny. When the court declared that we could continue to live here as a refugee, we were happy. I can’t describe my feelings with words».

Nonetheless, the last three years of their lives weren’t easy. Without a home and a job, they are struggling to survive. While their early migrant relatives sheltered them, they wanted to live like everyone else. In addition, both got married, and the family is in China. As a result, they couldn’t contact the family members.

Shinkuat Baizhanov, an advocate: KAZAKHSTAN SHOULD NOT HAVE PRISONED THE REFUGEES, ACCORDING TO THE INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE CONVENTION

Shinkuat Baizhanov was an advocate of Kaster Musakhanuly and the other four refugees. From his point of view, jailing those refugees was against the international rules:

According to Human Rights Watch, Kazakhstan ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol in 1999. Since many refugees are forced to cross borders in secret to avoid persecution and to seek international protection, the Refugee Convention prohibits countries from sanctioning refugees for illegal entry. In addition, Kazakhstan signed the United Nations Convention against Torture in 1998. Article 3 of this Convention forbids governments from expelling, returning, or extraditing a person to another country where the person will be tortured.

Likewise, the other four refugees from China are helpless. They all share one extraordinary dream: becoming Kazakhstani citizens. Yet, as refugees, they cannot work or receive free medical care.

Kazakhstani Ministry of Internal Affairs: «THEY CAN’T APPLY FOR KAZAKHSTANI CITIZENSHIP»

Kaster Musakhanuly and the other two refugees, Murager Alimuly and Kaisha Akan from China, attempted to apply for citizenship in Kazakhstan, which was refused. They received the letter from Internal Affairs Ministry on 23d May 2021, where the office officially refused to grant citizenship, referring to the Migration Law’s article 49.

According to the article, foreigners and stateless persons who entered the country illegally and were convicted of illegal immigration are denied a permit for permanent residence in the Republic of Kazakhstan. They are also prosecuted under the laws of their countries of origin for committing crimes. It was the second reason to deny them. 

The letter from the Ministry of Internal Affairs

Alexandra Cavelius, writer:  BEIJING’S ARM IS VERY LONG

Alexandra Cavelious, writer. Photo from her archive

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan can be a transit country for refugees, which means they can leave the country after receiving refugee status. For example, in 2018, another inmate Sayragul Sauytbay fleed Kazakhstan from the concentration camps. It was the first event the Kazakhstani society ever have faced. Nobody has experienced: lawyers, advocates, prosecutors, and courts confused. On the one hand, the human rights issues; the Kazakhstani officials couldn’t back her for torturing.

On the other hand, the government did not want to break the relationship with China. However, after prisoning for crossing illegally, the border Sayragul was sent to Sweden. Nowadays, she lives here; the German writer Alexandra Cavelius wrote a book about her «Chief witness». Therefore, I could contact the writer and ask a few questions. 

– Why did you decide to write the book ‘Chief witness’?

 – It was 2016 when the world heard more and more about so-called «vocational training camps» in East Turkestan. Since then, I asked myself: «What is happening there? «Nobody knew about the actual situation. Then, two years later, I read a short article about Kazakh Sayragul Sauytbay, who was forced by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to work as a teacher in one of the numerous concentration camps.

 After her escape from East Turkestan, the government had detained this former school headmistress in Kazakhstan for illegal border crossing. It was unclear whether she would be deported back to China, which would have meant her death sentence. However, the intervention of international human rights organizations and street protests in autocratically ruled Kazakhstan saved Ms Sauytbay’s life. I contacted her immediately when she was safe in Sweden with her family.

– You were researching the situation in China and wrote two books. Can you explain the problem from the point of your view? 

Sayragul Sauytbay, author of the book The Crown Witness published by Europa Verlag, photo from Alexandra Cavelius‘s archive

– East Turkestan has become the world’s most extensive surveillance state under CCP control. In addition, concentration camps dot the northern part of the country. These are the most significant mass internment camps since World War II. «Life without freedom means running for life in hell,» says Sayragul Sauytbai about her homeland.

Anyone who wants to know what danger we face from a modern dictatorship should look to East Turkestan. 

 As part of our new non-fiction book «China Protokolle» (Europa), I interviewed several survivors from the camps. Brainwashing, torture, forced labour, and murder are part of everyday life in these institutions. In addition, there are systematic rapes, organ trafficking, and other horrible crimes against humanity. In «China Protokolle,» Mrs Sautybay and I analyze the crimes of the Communist Party of China. This genocide is a very lucrative business for the Communist Party.

– To help Kazakh refugees, what we can do? Which International organization can help them? 

– I am currently trying to help a Kazakh witness and former camp inmate leaves the country. A human rights organization is supporting me. Journalists should network with each other, make the injustice in East Turkestan even more known and explain the problematic situation of dissidents abroad.

Beijing’s arm is very long. In «China Protokolle», we explained the witnesses’ situation abroad. The CCP forces their mothers, sisters or friends in East Turkestan to spread publicly lies about them. The dissidents abroad in the US, Netherlands, or Sweden are constantly threatened, persecuted, and put under pressure by torturing or even killing their relatives in East Turkestan. CCPs’ goal is to stifle any criticism. Our task is to name this injustice.

Akikat Kaliolla and Baibolat Kunbolat: WE DEMAND TO RELEASE OUR SIBLINGS

In Kazakhstan live the other witnesses of the Chinese crime against humanity. Even though they are Kazakhstani citizens (the early settled ethnic Kazakhs from China), their siblings and blood relatives suffer from Chinese atrocities. 

Two citizens of Kazakhstan, Akikat Kaliolla and Baibolat Kunbolat are organizing protests in front of the Chinese Embassy in Almaty, the largest city in Kazakhstan. 

Akikat is in front of Chinese Embassy, photo from Akikat Kaliolla’s archive

Kazibek Issa, Parlament member of Kazakhstan from party «Ak Jol»: 

KAZAKHSTANI MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS PROMISED TO HELP

Kazaibek Issa, Parliament Member, photo from his Facebook account with his consent

Kazibek Issa, the representative of the party «Ak Jol» in the Parliament of Kazakhstan, is interested in the protests and has asked the Ministry of External Affairs to assist in freeing the Chinese ethnic Kazakhs:

«The representatives of the Ministry, the Deputy Chair E. Alimbaev and the Chair of Consul service department B. Akataev responded to me. They were aware of the situation and sent the notes to the Chinese Embassy in Kazakhstan several times. As a result, the Chinese government provided information about their relatives.

Therefore, they were all in prison for their crimes. Our government does not have the right to interfere with the affairs of another country since they are Chinese citizens. However, the Ministry of External Affairs tries to assist them. Kazakhstan’s passport and visa support centre in Urumqi has been informed that these ethnic Kazakhs will be granted a visa if China allows them to travel. Furthermore, the centre has promised to help our blood relatives».

KASTER MUSAKHAULY AND OTHER FOUR REFUGEES ARE WAITING FOR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Meanwhile, Kaster and the other four refugees want to leave Kazakhstan like Sayragul. Kazakhstani government must provide travel documents for them. It gives them the right to travel to another country without any interruption. However, they must wait for the force to adjust the law on refugees.

Kaster Musakhanuly holds a letter from the Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs mentioned above. According to the note, the adjustment had to be implemented in January 2022. Unfortunately, during the January event in 2022, Kazakhstani officials forgot about the refugees and asked them to wait. Therefore, they are still waiting for the travel documents to other countries.

#Chinese vocational training camps

#Chinese refugees in Kazakhstan

#Chinese genocide

#Kaster Musakhanuly

#Sayragul Sauitbay

#Akikat Kaliolla

#Baibolat Kunbolat

#Alexandra Cavelius

#takeaways, #small business, #delivering, #UK, #Covid-19, #Lockdowns

Almost two years ago, families in the UK changed their eating habits due to lockdown. Unfortunately, these adjustments have affected many small takeaway shops, despite some benefits. 

In the beginning, the small business sector, which consists of 50% of the total market, has challenged lockdown restrictions. Nevertheless, some of them could quickly adapt to the market’s new realities. For example, restaurants, cafes, and takeaways have changed their working practices to deliver. The government also supported them.

According to www.ibisworld.com, takeaway market revenue has increased slightly in the last five years, reaching £20.6 billion, including an increase of 9% in 2021. 

Some takeaway shop owners and delivery drivers have shared their pandemic experiences, as they used lockdown restrictions to their advantage. 

Shop owner Shirley Tan, Whitehaven, Cumbria, UK:

THE PANDEMIC EVEN TRIPLED OUR INCOME

Her parents have owned a takeaway restaurant for 13 years. According to her, they lost revenue at the beginning. But, following that, they heard about the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme and applied for it. As a result, they were able to maintain their business, and they saw their turnover rise dramatically:

Nowadays, around 65-70% of their income depends on deliveries, even though lockdowns are cancelled

Cindy Suwito, co-founder of Avopoke, South Gosforth, Newcastle, UK:

WE FACED SOME CHALLENGES OPENING A BUSINESS DURING COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS

During the pandemic, the small business entrepreneurs found that the takeaways and deliveries were affordable and wealthy jobs.  Startups explains, 24% of businesses offer delivery services. 

Cindy Suwito, with her partner, have risked opening a takeaway shop during a pandemic. Fortunately, they have survived. Cindy Suwito demonstrates the delivery was more productive than collections:

According to Cindy Suwito, today, their earnings also depends on deliveries.

Alexander James, a former delivery driver, Newcastle, UK:

I DELIVERED AROUND 20-25 0RDERS A DAY

A couple of years ago, you would see a few delivery riders roaming the streets, but delivery riders are everywhere today. Deliveroo, which has grown very large recently due to the demand for delivery services, has hired 50,000 drivers/riders across the country. Additionally, 15,000 of them were employed during the pandemic.

Alexander James quit his delivery job a month ago. After lockdown, his income decreased by 50%, and he found it unnecessary:

– During the Covid-19 restrictions, I was unemployed; I was then hired by a tiny takeaway shop and was paid £2 per delivery. As a result, my income increased because I had around 20-25 orders a day. I also found people were very generous, and I received a lot of tips. However, when lockdown ended, peoples eating habits changed, and they wanted to eat out. Consequently, my income started to decrease due to the decrease in deliveries, so I found working as a delivery rider was no longer viable, – he explained.

 According to the British takeaway campaign, around 37732 takeaways in 2019 across the UK. The demand by citizens for takeaways started to rise slightly from 2015.  The British takeaway campaign 2020 report points out the market during the last five years have increased by 43%. Predominantly, the rise belongs to the pandemic period. In 2019 citizens spent £97.8 billion in restaurants and cafes. Accordingly, in 2020 these spendings increased by just 1.7%, and takeaways generated £15.1 billion turnovers.

https://venngage.net/ps/2HziZPV4YcY/covid-19-and-takeaway

#Град десе менің есіме жастық шағымның куәсі болған Қазму қалашығы түседі. Бүгін универдің жанынан өтіп бара жатып #NCLgrad деген сөз еріксіз көңілімді аударды. Бірден ҚазҰУ-да өткен жылдарыма ойша саяхаттап та үлгердім. Бірақ #Казгурад студенттер қалашығы деген мағынаны білдірсе, #NCLgrad Ньюкасл университетінің түлектері дегенді білдіреді. Болашақта бұл сөз де жақсы естеліктерімен менің есімде қалады деп үміттенемін.

For me the word #grad is allways associated with #kaznu where I studied. When I saw #nclgrad I thought about Kazakh State University, where l´ve lived for 10 years. Yes, I know the differences between Russian and English grad. Kazgugrad means Kazakh State University town, while NCLgrad means Newcastle graduation. Last week the graduation ceremony took place here. Now my dream is to participate in the next #NCLgrad ceremony.I hope in the future the #NCLgrad will be also associated with a good memory. Wish me a success.

Yes, my masters are going to be difficult, and we are meeting several deadlines this November. That is why I am delaying my diary. 

Nevertheless, I would like to tell you about the Beamish museum. 

 This Museum is located in North East England. Beamish is a world-famous open-air museum, telling the story of life in North East England during the 1820s, 1900s, 1940s, and 1950s. You can find here some pictures from early times. The volunteers could show you an example of everyday life in urban and rural North East England at the climate of industrialization in the early 20th century.

Our travel was organized by Globe cafe volunteers, which helps international students to adapt to society. The volunteers showed us around and told us about the Museum’s history. The Museum was established in August 1970, the founder was Atkinson. 

When we visited, there were American soldiers, which were showing visitors II World wartime histories. Exactly, this day American soldiers came to British-France borders to fight together against the Hitler regime.

We could travel by trams and buses of the 1910s and go to Pit village, which is the memory of the industrialization of British society. The coal miners’ village is the last memorial of coal mining. The Iron lady Margaret Thatcher promised to the citizen to close all coal mining to avoid lung diseases. Nevertheless, it wasn’t easy to fully liquidate all of the coal mines and find alternative energy. Nowadays, the UK provides several types of renewable energy, such as windy energy, solar energy.

Today, I saw ‘vaccination buses’ near to University, when I was coming to my class. People in yellow uniform encouraged students to take the vaccine.

Before coming Newcastle I was fully vaccinated and have a vaccination passport. Unfortunately, this type of vaccine was not recognised by WHO. My jab is Russian Sputnik V. Despite, it was not recognised, many developing countries, including Kazakhstan, have bought this vaccination.

Moreover, Kazakhstan is developing it is own vaccination. Many people preferred to be vaccinated by QazVac, which was successfully checked. However, both of them are not on the list of WHO vaccination.

I was wondering to know, if I had to vaccinate my self, if they knew Sputnik V. The women who explained me the situation brought a piece of paper. There was the list of vaccine, including Russian and Kazakh vaccinations. In front of these vaccinations the characteristic of the jabs clearly explained. They said if I was vaccinated on May, it is not necessary to take it again.

– After your next birthday you can be vaccinated again. Now you shouldn’t worry about it, – she told me.

Then Today we practiced in Multimedia Journalism class shooting piece to camera. I decided to interview vaccination bus volunteers, and asked them for help. They were friendly and open-minded. I was happy and shot one of the volunteers.

Basically, according to Healthcare systems in the UK 67,9% of population fully vaccinated, it means approximately 102M people have taken two doses. Despite, governments are affording to encourage people to be vaccinated here anti-vaccine company are protesting to against jabs as well as all over the world.

#vaccinationbuses

#vaccinationvolunteers

#NewcastleUniversity

#MultimediaJournalism

Hello, all dear. As I promised you, I am continuing to write my diary.

There is a lot of landmarks and sights in the city of Newcastle. After completing our quarantine we decided to go to the Tynemouth beach.

I really like this place and enjoy it. This attraction is not so far away from the city. To travel the beach we caught a metro from South Gosforth metro station. Metro return ticket costs for adults £4.40 and for children twice cheaper.
On Saturday there was a street fair, and people were selling everything beginning from the claps, continuing to silver dishes from the early era. The street market was lively and people really enjoyed Sunshine. The weather was lovely.
We started to walk toward the beach. The great and huge monument met and welcomed us. This attractive monument is for Admiral Collingwood. He was a Napoleonic era admiral. He noted being second-in-command to Admiral Lord Nelson during the Battle of Trafalgar. This monument gives you an emotion of arrogance and a spirit of heroism. Although it was built in 1845 (almost two centuries ago) the condition of the monument was very good. Moreover, you will feel the bright thoughts, such as he is defending the sea border from its enemies. We were attracted by the monument very much.

I started to walk toward the sea, the North Sea. The ocean without borders gives me other feelings, feelings of deep thoughts, dreams. I always dream to travel by ship, feeling the sea wind and open sea climate. Dreams always become true. Maybe, at once I will face my dreams. Watching the sea I forgot my everyday routines, everything is fresh, the weather, the grass. It was cloudy, but not rainy.
As the result, we spent our weekend time wonderful. I missed Tynemouse beach so much. So lovely, and lively beach always welcome you. If you travel to Newcastle I strongly recommend you visit it.

#Tynemouth beach

#Newcastle city

#Travel

#Collingwood monument

#North Sea

Today we decided to go an attractive place Gateshead Millennium Bridge. Surprisingly, we faced with anti vaccine protestors. Around a few hundred people were walking through the bridge shouting and singing.

They were holding the leaflets, which are saying «They were killed our elderly don’t let them kill our kids», «You have tolerated this! Your children are next! This ends when we all say NO», «Vaccine passports are kill our freedoms», »BBC is the virus» and so on. According to the hashtags such as #handsOffOufKids, #nojabsforkids this protest was against the children’s vaccination.

They marched, and song. The police officers let them walk through the bridge monitoring the situation. As a Journalist I started to interesting in this event, I filmed and took some pictures.

Then I started to interview the participators. According to their conversation the vaccine policy in the world is too controversial. It wasn’t fully proved and covid jab trials will end in 2023. These jabs are experiments. 1517 people died, and more than million of covid jab adverse reactions in the UK Yellow card reporting informed. The women who I asked clearly explained the reason why they are here. They were against the pupils’ vaccine.

A man who was holding the leaflet «BBC is the virus» told me that the vaccine trials are killing more people rather than some virus. He said that he is a bioscientist. But the vaccination is not the solution to kill the virus.

The anti vaccine protests are taking place everywhere. It started a year ago, and in the big cities such as London, New York and Paris it ended with clashes between protestors and police officers. According to the Chronicle life in Newcastle upon Tyne in the same demonstration in August also some people conflicted with the police officers.

Today everything was peaceful, the protestors stopped in  Baltic Square for speeches for a while. Their speeches were not so long, it took a few minutes, then they returned to Exhibition Park.

#NewcastleuponTyne

#Antivaccineprotestors

#GatesheadmilleniumBridge

#AntiKidsJabs

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/embed/index.html?uid=66d73bf4-ccf6-11e5-a524-0e7075bba956

https://cdn.knightlab.com/libs/juxtapose/latest/embed/index.html?uid=80d1110c-ccf5-11e5-a524-0e7075bba956

Блог жүргізбегелі көп бопты. Көптеген пікірлерге жауап та жазылмай қалыпты. Кешірім өтінемін. Көп жазбамыз бүгінде фейсбукте жазылып, блогың рөлін алмастырып жіберді-ау деймін.

Жақында біздің отағасы бәрімізді жинап алып, жаңа өліңімді оқып берейін деді. Қасымызда Ұлықбек Жанарбек ұлы, Ақтанберді Бақытбекұлы (менің ақ балам, 8 жаста), Ботагөз Сабит бар.

– Өлеңімнің аты «Атамның басы» деп аталады, – деп бастады отағасы Бақытбек сөзін. Бұны естуі мұң екен Ақтанай мен Ұлықбек ішін басып, домалап күле жөнелді.

– Әке, әке, – дейді Ақтанай, – бұның ұят қой енді, бүкіл ел бізді юоқтап отыр екен деп ойлап қалады ғой, атын өзгертпесең болмайды.

– Жарайды, – деді әкесі, – әуелі тыңдап ал, мен неге олай атағанымды түсін, сосын жаңа ат ойла.

Өлең мазмұны «әкесінің шет елден келіп, өз атамекеніне  жамбасы тигендігі жайында, ата-бабаң мекеніне жетіп өлсем арманым жоқ деген талай боздақтың арманын арқалап келген бүгін ұрпақ жайында, ақыры атамның басы өз топырағына жетті» дегенге саяды. Ақтанай көп ойланбады:

– Әке, атамның рманы деп отырсың ғой. Өлең атауын «Атамның арманы» деп ауыстырайық деді. Сөйтіп, Ақтанай тұңғыш рет редакция жасады, әкесінің өлеңіне.

Қанша түзу қармасын жесір ескек,
Қайық өрге жүзбейді кекіректеп.
Енді не дер, оттайтын оспадарым,
«Мұнда сенің атаңның басы жоқ!»,- деп.

Бабам жатқан жер еді білгенге бұл,
Су қараңғы бұл жайдан мүлдемге тұл.
Ақ ит кіріп, аузынан көк ит шығып,
Көкитіндер болып жүр мүрдеңе құл.