Australia calls on China to allow Uighur mother and son’s travel

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – The Australian government has called on China to allow an ethnic Uighur mother and son to leave the country, following a public plea from the child’s father.

Rights groups say China is holding about a million Uighurs and other Muslims in detention camps. China says they are “vocational training centres”.

Sadam Abudusalamu, an ethnically Uighur Australian, has called for his wife and toddler son – whom he has never met – to be allowed to join him in Sydney.

China has not commented on the request.

Mr Abudusalamu successfully obtained Australian citizenship for his son Lutfy – who is almost two – earlier this year. Lutfy’s mother, Nadila Wumaier, is a Chinese national.

The 29-year-old man has spent months campaigning to be reunited with his family, but did not reveal his identity until this week – when he gave an interview on public broadcaster ABC.

Since then, Mr Abudusalamu said his wife had been briefly detained and released by Chinese authorities in the far western region of Xinjiang. (BBC)