The crisis in Xinjiang, where over one million Uyghurs face mass detention, forced labour, and cultural erasure, is one of the most urgent human rights challenges of our time. As the world’s largest Muslim-majority democracy, Indonesia has both a moral duty and strategic interest to respond decisively.
In 2022, Indonesia sided with China at the UN Human Rights Council, blocking debate on abuses in Xinjiang. This silence risks damaging Indonesia’s credibility as a pluralist, rights-respecting state and distancing it from a growing global Muslim public deeply concerned about Uyghur persecution.
China’s repression of the Uyghurs is not just a bilateral issue—it violates international law, religious freedom, and labour rights. Forced labour in Xinjiang pollutes global supply chains, including textiles and solar panels—sectors critical to Indonesia’s economy. Without action, Indonesian firms could face reputational harm and lose access to key markets.
Indonesia must move from passive concern to proactive leadership. As a key member of both ASEAN and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Jakarta can lead a joint ASEAN-OIC call for a UN fact-finding mission in Xinjiang, reinforcing both Islamic solidarity and regional credibility on human rights.
Domestically, Indonesia should open humanitarian visa quotas for Uyghur refugees and students, offer scholarships, and support Uyghur civil society through dedicated funding. Trade authorities must implement mandatory human rights due diligence across key industries. Religious leaders, including the Indonesian Ulema Council, should condemn China’s abuses and assert faith-based solidarity.
Indonesia can also establish an Asia–Uyghur Academic Network to preserve Uyghur history and identity through scholarly collaboration.
In the face of atrocity, silence is complicity. Indonesia has the opportunity to champion justice, lead with conscience, and safeguard the global human rights order. Its response will shape its moral legacy for generations.