The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is using many political means to stop Uyghurs annual pilgrimage to Mecca, known as Hajj, according to the World Uyghur Congress.

The Chinese regime has issued a public policy for the Xinjiang autonomous region called “five packages.” It states that various authorities of Xinjiang villages and communities must monitor any actions related to pilgrimage.

Uyghurs known to have plans for pilgrimage will lose their housing eligibility, birth control subsidy, academic financial aid, agricultural subsidies, to name a few. Business owners will also have their business license revoked.

The public policy explicitly denies the Uyghur’s national minority party members the right to travel abroad to pilgrimage. It also prevents Uyghur party members from studying abroad and extending their visas.

To further prevent Uyghurs from the Hajj, the CCP has requested public security to stop issuing and validating passports to Uyghurs. Those who already have issued-passports must submit a deposit signing an agreement with a witness and guarantor or with their workplace to promise that they will not pilgrimage to Mecca.

Spokesperson for the World Uyghur Congress, You Lixia, expressed that even though the CCP is claiming to “respect and protect spiritual beliefs,” it is still continuously trampling on the religious freedom of Ugyhurs.

Read the original article in Chinese