Had no idea this was still an ongoing issue but given that it is, I think there are a couple of things that need noting about this incident. First, to the best of my knowledge everyone who challenged Prof. Sachs about Xinjiang was incredibly polite. 1/n
This was not some rabid Twitter mob but academics and journalists sending links and offering to talk offline so that he understood the situation. Whatever caused Prof. Sachs to delete his account it was NOT due to Twitter threats, mobs, or rudeness 2/n
Second, I have no idea the exact nature of his relationship with Huawei and other CCP linked entities, but his name is all over a wide variety of things that indicate that his relationship is not that of dispassionate observer. Other people have done Tweet storms or 3/n
so I won't replicate their work, but it is clear there is more than strictly arms length relationship. Third, it defies any logic that you can hold yourself up as an expert on China, Huawei, and law but plead ignorance on Xinjiang. Fourth, and to me the biggest issue, 4/n
assume Prof. Sachs was truly ignorant about Xinjiang, after being informed and shown the wealth of documentation about Xinjiang, if he said "hey, I blew it. Did not know about what was happening. This is a big problem." I for one would let bygones be bygones. People 5/n
make mistakes and in a busy world can not be aware. After being shown by academics and journalists the mountain of information, choosing to delete your account and refuse to talk about is nothing less than an act of profound cowardice choosing willful ignorance. 6/n
During the same week this happened, there was Congressional testimony from Uighurs of torture and electrical shocks they endured. For Prof. Sachs to refuse to recognize the mountain of facts is willful ignorance at best. I won't even label the at worst but it's morally repugnant.
Finally, if China believes this is just a difference of opinion or failure to understand each other, fine. Let's have a public showing of facts and debate about what is happening in Xinjiang. I would fully support them allowing people into Xinjiang and debate on religious freedom
