Australian child trapped in China amid Uighur crackdown

Story From: The Guardian

At least five Australian children are trapped in china , unable to return home because of the Chinese government’s crackdown on Uighur Muslims, the Guardian can reveal.

The children, who range in age from one to six, are all Australian citizens and come from three different families. They have been stuck in China for up to two years, and are all separated from at least one of their parents.

In one case, the parents say Chinese authorities threatened that the child would be taken into a state-run orphanage and given up for adoption to a Han Chinese family, and the Chinese parent would be sent to a detention centre.

At least five Australian children are trapped in China, unable to return home because of the Chinese government’s crackdown on Uighur Muslims, the Guardian can reveal.

The children, who range in age from one to six, are all Australian citizens and come from three different families. They have been stuck in China for up to two years, and are all separated from at least one of their parents.

In one case, the parents say Chinese authorities threatened that the child would be taken into a state-run orphanage and given up for adoption to a Han Chinese family, and the Chinese parent would be sent to a detention centre.

In all the cases, which have been confirmed to the Guardian by multiple sources, the children have one Australian parent and one Chinese parent. In all cases both parents want the family to live together in Australia.

All the families are members of the Uighur ethnic minority group, which has suffered severe human rights abuses.

Despite being Australian citizens, all three children have been unable to leave China and return to Australia because they do not have an adult to accompany them. Their fathers have been denied visas to return China to collect them.

In another case, a father who is an Australian citizen and his Chinese wife were visiting Xinjiang with their two Australian children when the mother was arrested and taken to a detention centre. The father refuses to leave the country because he fears if he does so he will not be allowed back in and will never see his wife again.

People familiar with the cases say the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) is aware of all three families, but that they have received no support from the department.

“If Australia was involved, my wife and son might be here,” Sam said. “But Australia is not involved, they’re scared. China can do whatever they want because Australia is quiet.”