Key takeaways:
- Miami Mayor and 2024 presidential candidate Francis Suarez has come under fire for his response to a question about human rights abuses against Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim minority ethnic group in China’s western region.
- The Chinese government has been accused of detaining Uyghurs in camps, sexually abusing women, and forcing sterilization.
- Suarez has since apologized for his response and has promised to educate himself on the issue and make human rights a priority in his campaign.
Miami Mayor and 2024 presidential candidate Francis Suarez has come under fire for his response to a question about human rights abuses against Uyghurs, a predominantly Muslim minority ethnic group in China’s western region. During a Tuesday morning interview with podcast host Hugh Hewitt, Suarez was asked whether he would be talking about the Uyghurs in his campaign. Suarez replied, “What’s a Uyghur?”
Hewitt replied, “You really need to know about the Uyghurs, mayor.” Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group who are Muslim and native to Xinjiang, China.
The Chinese government has been accused of detaining Uyghurs in camps, sexually abusing women, and forcing sterilization. Violent riots began in the region in 2009 and the Chinese government began blaming terrorist attacks in the country on Uyghurs.
The Uyghur population in Xinjiang is estimated to be 11 million out of the 21.8 million people in the province. Suarez’s response has been met with criticism from human rights activists, who argue that candidates for the highest office in the United States should be aware of the human rights abuses occurring in China.
Suarez has since apologized for his response and has promised to educate himself on the issue. He has also said he will make human rights a priority in his campaign. It remains to be seen how the mayor’s response will affect his chances in the upcoming election.
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