Beijing urged to free mum and Australian son, 2

The Morrison government has asked China to allow an Australian child and his Uighur mother to leave Xinjiang.

Marise Payne has formally requested Beijing to allow mother and her son to return to Australia. Picture; AFP.

The Morrison government has asked China to allow an Australian child and his Uighur mother to leave Xinjiang, where Muslim minorities are being detained.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne released a statement yesterday declaring Australian diplomats had formally asked China to allow Nadila Wumaier and her son to travel to Australia.

Her husband, Australian man Sadam Abdusalam, has been campaigning for the government to push for the release of his wife and son, born in Xinjiang in 2017.

Senator Payne said officials had intervened following the ABC’s Four Corners on Monday, where Mr Abdusalam was among Australians explaining how they were impacted by China’s policy of detaining up to a million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in re-education camps in the tightly controlled region.

“I am aware of reports that Mr Abdusalam’s wife was questioned today by Chinese authorities. The department continues to provide assistance to the family,” Senator Payne said. “It is important to note that as Ms Wumaier is not an Australian citizen we do not have an entitlement to consular access.

“The embassy in Beijing has formally requested that Chinese authorities allow Ms Wumaier and her son (who is an Australian citizen) to travel to Australia.”

Deputy Labor leader Richard Marles welcomed the government’s formal request.

“Labor is deeply concerned by continuing reports of the mass detention and other violations of human rights of Uighurs and other Muslim minority groups in China, including reports of Australian citizens and residents being detained. Labor supports the government’s efforts,” he said.

Mr Abdusalam welcomed Senator Payne’s intervention but urged the government to do more.

“I’m going to keep trying to keep pressure on China and on the Australian government,” he said. “On August 31 he will be two years old. I would like to see my son before August 31 so we can celebrate his birthday as a family.”

Australia was among 22 countries, along with Britain, Canada and Japan, that last week wrote to top UN officials condemning China’s treatment of ethnic minorities. Four Corners reported Uighur Muslim detainees are used as labourers in garment factories and force-fed Chinese government propaganda. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Australia slammed the report as being “full of lies, distortion and bias”.

“It misleads (the) audience with absurd logic and (a) ridiculous conclusion by selective reporting that patched up fragmented footage and unfounded information. It is obvious the producers and reporters … are utterly ignorant of China, utterly disrespect … the rule of law, utterly cold-blooded on the wellbeing of the people in Xinjiang,” he said.

ADDITIONAL REPORTING: AFP