Abdul Mu’ti (Umair Rizaludin)

Indonesia’s two largest Muslim mass organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, have been caught between two superpowers in the matter of alleged human rights abuses against Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, China, as the United States and China seek allies in the ongoing rivalry between them.

A recent Wall Street Journal report alleged that the organizations had been “persuaded” by the Chinese government to remain silent on the issue by sponsoring visits to the Xinjiang region, the location of the controversial Uighur “reeducation” camps.

But both NU and Muhammadiyah have strenuously denied the reports, saying that their decision-making remained independent despite being approached by both the US and China on the issue.

In October, US Ambassador Joseph R. Donovan Jr. met with leaders from both organizations to encourage them to “speak out against the repression of the Uighur minority in China”. 

NU deputy secretary-general Andi Najmi said he had personally been involved in two meetings with the US ambassador and two meetings with the Chinese ambassador to Indonesia on the Uighur issue.

Responding to the Wall Street Journal article, NU executive Robikin Emhas said the organization could not be dictated to by any external party, adding that according to information received by NU, the camps were meant to keep Uighurs from being influenced by radical and extremist views.

“As for the claims that funds [from China] have flowed into NU, I want to express that there are no such funds,” Robikin said in a statement on the official NU website. “And NU cannot be dictated to or controlled by anyone, including China.”

Muhammadiyah secretary-general Abdul Mu’ti also said Donovan had asked the organization to make a statement about the Uighurs. 

“But we said that Muhammadiyah would make its own judgement and if we communicate something it has to be supported by data,” Mu’ti said. 

He added that Muhammadiyah “could not be bought”.

“Muhammadiyah is always independent in every statement and activity,” he said. 

An official Muhammadiyah statement responding to the Wall Street Journal report decried it as “baseless” and “slanderous” and called on the newspaper to correct the report and apologize to the organization. 

The statement also called on the Chinese government to provide the international community with more access to Xinjiang and for China “to stop any form of human rights violations, particularly against the Uighur people, whatever the pretext”.

The Chinese Embassy in Indonesia also issued a statement regarding the Wall Street Journal article on its official website on Thursday. 

“A few western news agencies seek to smear Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization efforts, and provoke dissension between China and the Islamic world,” the statement read. “The Wall Street Journal's report slanders the Chinese government's efforts to safeguard national sovereignty, protect basic human rights and combat terrorism and extremism, and intentionally distorts the Chinese Embassy's normal exchanges and engagements with Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, Indonesian Ulema Council and various sectors of Indonesian society. We hereby express our strong indignation and firm opposition.”

The US and China have been engaged in a prolonged trade war that has been impacting growth in the region, while also competing on various strategic fronts, including infrastructure and security. 

Relations between the two countries were further strained by the US decision to endorse a bill backing anti-Beijing protesters in Hong Kong.

Karina M. Tehusijarana contributed to this story.

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