Few thoughts for dealing with the Xinjiang allegations:
1) The burden of proof is ENTIRELY on the accusers
2) Merely saying the proof is insufficient is acceptable - you yourself have to prove NOTHING
3) You don't have to disprove EVERY accusation to discredit the accusers
1) The burden of proof is ENTIRELY on the accusers
2) Merely saying the proof is insufficient is acceptable - you yourself have to prove NOTHING
3) You don't have to disprove EVERY accusation to discredit the accusers
4) Pointing to the accusers' funding is entirely legitimate. This one point is often enough to discredit them entirely.
After all, the same people who tell us to focus on claims and not funding - also dismiss Chinese media because they're state funded.
After all, the same people who tell us to focus on claims and not funding - also dismiss Chinese media because they're state funded.
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1308490968182579200?s=19
Literally EVERY SINGLE CLAIM can be traced back to shady orgs funded by Western govts and corporations - the same ones who gave us Iraq WMDs and the Nayirah testimony.
The western media loves harping about editorial independence. Yet, in this case, they've failed their own test.
The western media loves harping about editorial independence. Yet, in this case, they've failed their own test.
5) Pointing to the over-reliance on "witness testimony" is also fully legitimate.
There's an entire cottage industry dedicated to extracting testimonies - real or fake.
It's not exactly difficult. Both sides do it. You believe who you want to believe.
There's an entire cottage industry dedicated to extracting testimonies - real or fake.
It's not exactly difficult. Both sides do it. You believe who you want to believe.
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1309010316760698887?s=19
6) Pointing to the relative death toll of other regimes while fighting extremism is also legitimate. The US and India have faced similar problems, and their approaches KILLED more than a million and 40,000 people respectively. China's approach SAVED lives
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1283755944753508352?s=19
7) Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Claims like "1-3 million people in camps" or "genocide" require truly extraordinary evidence.
So far, the evidence presented is not even ordinary - but full of false translations, "witness testimonies" etc.
So far, the evidence presented is not even ordinary - but full of false translations, "witness testimonies" etc.
The "evidence" includes straight up lies, unjustifiable assumptions, false translations, fake statistics, half truths, forum posts as evidence of policy, and so on.
No wonder the claims have been widely rejected by the international community at large:
No wonder the claims have been widely rejected by the international community at large:
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1313557868910583809?s=19
The original claim of a "million" comes from a survey whose results were extrapolated from a grand total of eight (8) people - no kidding. Imagine if Chinese state media had done something like this. The western media would pounce like hungry dogs.
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/21/chi…
thegrayzone.com/2019/12/21/chi…
Speaking of Zenz, two things stand out. First, if he was pro-China, he would've been "cancelled" long ago for his views.
Second, his MAJOR statistical error is blindly repeated in western media. No correction issued so far:
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1281681167218094082?s=19
Second, his MAJOR statistical error is blindly repeated in western media. No correction issued so far:
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1293494408445222913?s=19
Few examples of how weak the evidence is:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id_Kah_Mo…
When an FT journalist was caught lying:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Id_Kah_Mo…
https://twitter.com/BenjaminNorton/status/1289955719488438276?s=19
https://twitter.com/DanielDumbrill/status/1200522786772418560?s=19
https://twitter.com/Truth2Upeople/status/1286194974657191937?s=19
https://twitter.com/j_bigboote/status/1182726991675625472?s=19
https://twitter.com/ChairmanHongyou/status/1313780931963092994?s=19
https://twitter.com/comradekelley/status/1304837535189864448?s=19
When an FT journalist was caught lying:
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1270728886679228418?s=19
8) China is cracking down hard on radical Islam & extremism. It has invited over 1000 international experts to the region, and ~100% of them praise China
Ironically, people who HAVEN'T visited Xinjiang criticize China the most, while the people who've visited it - praise China.
Ironically, people who HAVEN'T visited Xinjiang criticize China the most, while the people who've visited it - praise China.
Ofc, SOMETHING is going on in Xinjiang. Yet, there's little evidence that the policies are as harsh as advertised.
Most of the allegations are far-fetched estimates - shooting arrows in the air. They don't know what's going on, and refuse to accept China's invitation to visit.
Most of the allegations are far-fetched estimates - shooting arrows in the air. They don't know what's going on, and refuse to accept China's invitation to visit.
Tibetan genocide allegations a few decades ago fizzled out (
The same playbook is now being repeated in Xinjiang, and being groomed for Inner Mongolia too:
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1294396782823104513?s=19), but not before providing a useful framework for anti-China propaganda.
The same playbook is now being repeated in Xinjiang, and being groomed for Inner Mongolia too:
https://twitter.com/MaitreyaBhakal/status/1275915498232770560?s=19
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