On 27 May 23, Chinese authorities deployed hundreds of armed police and soldiers to quell a Hui Muslim protest to CCP plans to demolish the Yunnan Najiaying Mosque, a Ming Dynasty construct and the largest mosque in the province. The mosque was originally built in 1370. Over the past 600 years, the mosque had been expanded several times. In 2001, a new mosque building was constructed.
The Chinese Communist Party has arrested more than 30 Muslims in Yuxi, Yunnan, China after protestors battled with police over the destruction of the Yunnan Najiaying Mosque, built in the Ming Dynasty. pic.twitter.com/2tvJpQSpXF
— Tessaron News (@TessaronF) May 29, 2023
CCP authorities had throttled internet access in Yuxi and banned key word search of the mosque and the city on San Weibo and other Chinese internet sites. By 2023 EST on 28 May 23, Yuxi authorities made these four demands:
”1. Organizers and participants who carry out activities that disrupt social order must immediately stop all illegal and criminal acts. From the date of this announcement to June 6, 2023, those who voluntarily surrender and truthfully confess the facts of violations and crimes may be given a lighter and mitigated punishment according to law.
2. People’s courts, people’s procuratorates, and public security organs will strictly crack down on illegal and criminal activities that impede social management order with a “zero tolerance” attitude. Relevant illegal and criminal suspects must recognize the situation, cherish opportunities, and voluntarily surrender as soon as possible to strive for lenient treatment . Those who refuse to surrender themselves will be severely punished by the judiciary according to law.
3. All suspects involved in crimes must actively cooperate with the public security organs to carry out investigations after they arrive at the case, and provide important clues for reporting and exposing other people’s illegal and criminal behaviors. Those who commit serious crimes may be given a lighter or mitigated punishment according to the law, and those who have performed major meritorious service may be given a lighter or reduced punishment according to the law.
4. Encourage and protect the people to actively report, mobilize and persuade criminal suspects to surrender, and the judiciary will protect and keep confidential the whistleblowers in accordance with the law. Whoever threatens or retaliates against informants or accusers constitutes a crime shall be investigated for criminal responsibility according to law.”
By 1500 EST, authorities in Yuxi had arrested more than thirty people.
