Uyghurs in Afghanistan ‘Terrified’ of Taliban-China Collaboration

Ethnic Uyghurs from China’s Western Xinjiang region currently residing in Afghanistan told Radio Free Asia (RFA) on Tuesday they fear the Taliban terror group may deport them to China now that the group has seized control of the country.

“The Chinese identification documents held by many Uyghurs in Afghanistan have expired, though they still say ‘Chinese Turkestani migrant’ on them,” a Turkey-based Uyghur with relatives in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan’s fourth-largest city, told RFA on August 24.

“If this information were to fall into their hands in the coming days, China might say that there are such and such Uyghurs who have left Xinjiang and that they want them to turn us over,” the man, identified only as “Abdulaziz,” speculated.

Abdulaziz said some China-origin Uyghurs residing in Afghanistan held identification documents that “have expired,” indicating that the out-of-date papers may serve as the initial impetus for the Taliban to seek out members of the minority ethnic group for deportation.