URAP Statement on International Day Against Nuclear Tests
August 29, 2022
On this UN-recognized International Day against Nuclear Tests, URAP calls for vigilance and attention regarding China’s nuclear testing in the Lop Nur test site located in East Turkistan. Often omitted in the general discourse of the Uyghur genocide are the 46 open-air nuclear tests carried out by China, which have caused devastating and long lasting consequences for the safety of the local population. The last known nuclear explosion took place in 1996. However, it was reported in 2020 that U.S. security officials were alerted to a low-level nuclear test happening in the Lop Nur area.
Uyghurs living in this region have been subject to nuclear fallout, air and water contamination, and radiation. According to independent international scholars, the estimated number of victims who have died due to radiation exposure is approximately 194,000, with around 1.2 million receiving amounts high enough to induce leukemia, high deformity rates, solid cancers, and fetal damage.
Until today, the international community’s nuclear watch dog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been unable to visit the area to independently assess the environmental and population damage caused by these nuclear tests. As a result, the local population, consisting predominantly of Uyghur farmers, is deprived of the medical treatment and financial assistance typically afforded to victims of nuclear exposure.
A few weeks ago, international media outlets reported on suspicious activities around the nuclear site of Lop Nur. The following was reported:
“Satellites detected new terrain leveling activity at Lop Nur in October 2020. Big trucks came and went in 2021, and the power infrastructure for the sixth tunnel was built in the first half of 2022. In June, the explosive storage facility was completed. Increased radiation was detected in the vicinity alongside these developments. A new underground facility that could be used to launch nuclear missiles was found nearby.”
URAP calls for stakeholders, including the UN International Atomic Agency, to watch this development closely and demand unfettered access in East Turkistan to assess China’s nuclear activities as well as the risks and consequences of nuclear tests inflicted on Uyghurs and other natives. URAP urges IAEA member states to hold China accountable for its irresponsible nuclear activities and take action to stop its conducting of nuclear tests that endanger the environment and the lives of Uyghurs in East Turkistan.
Yours Sincerely,
Mehmet Tohti
Executive Director