# China has been criticized for altering Uighur village names to remove religious and cultural associations

> A joint report by Human Rights Watch and Uyghur Hjelp revealed that China systematically renamed 630 Uighur villages in Xinjiang from 2017 to 2019, aligning them with Chinese Communist Party ideology. For instance, Qutp…

Published: 2026-09-20 · Desk: World · Source: A Jazeera

A joint report by Human Rights Watch and Uyghur Hjelp revealed that China systematically renamed 630 Uighur villages in Xinjiang from 2017 to 2019, aligning them with Chinese Communist Party ideology. For instance, Qutpidin Mazar village became Rose Flower village in 2018, erasing historical and cultural ties. The changes caused practical issues, such as a villager being unable to return home after release from a re-education camp due to name discrepancies in the ticketing system. The UN's human rights chief, after visiting Xinjiang in 2022, confirmed severe human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention of Uighurs and other Muslim minorities, potentially constituting international crimes.

Original reporting: https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/6/18/china-accused-of-erasing-religion-culture-from-uighur-village-names?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR1qDFkE3UaNEpowrHPi3jm6tzoCSIuYGtnWttnzrgN0et2is67jZPYQKqc_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw
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