Hope for a Brother’s Release
The sister of a Uyghur man detained in a Chinese concentration camp expresses her hopes that President Trump can help bring her brother home. This comes after her disappointment with the Biden administration over the past few years.
Ekpah Asat went missing in 2016. He had just returned from a trip to Washington, where he participated in a program sponsored by the State Department. After some time, it was revealed—in 2020, following pressure from a group of U.S. senators—that he was being held in a mass camp in Xinjiang, in northwestern China.
Around 2017, the Chinese Communist Party heightened its oppression of Uyghurs, a Muslim minority, leading to widespread detentions under the guise of “re-education.” The U.S. government labeled these actions as genocide.
Ekpah, a businessman, received a 15-year prison sentence after a secret trial for “inciting ethnic hatred,” seen by many critics as a baseless charge influenced by politics.
“President Trump has a unique ability to secure Mr. Ekpah’s release,” said his sister Reyhan Asat, now in New York. “He’s the only one whom President Xi truly respects.”
Reyhan noted her brother was thankful for his experience in the U.S. and embraced American culture—his final words on Chinese social media reflected this sentiment. As a senior general counsel at the Atlantic Council, Reyhan has been a staunch advocate against human rights abuses in China since she defected to the U.S.
Since 2020, Reyhan has tirelessly campaigned for her brother’s release, visiting Washington multiple times to meet with officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, yet to no avail.
“The Biden administration has let Ekpah down,” she stated. “Just speaking warmly about experiences in the U.S. hasn’t put an end to the grave injustices my brother faces.”
President Trump is set to visit Beijing from May 14th to 15th, making him the first U.S. president in a decade to do so. Trade discussions will likely dominate discussions, but such visits often spotlight high-profile prison cases. Ekpah’s situation was recently acknowledged by the Congressional Executive Committee on China.
“This year has certainly been the hardest,” Reyhan reflected on the ten-year mark since her brother’s detainment. “But, oddly enough, I find myself feeling hopeful.”
Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), who has been involved with Ekpah’s case since 2021, commented on the situation, describing it as emblematic of the Chinese government’s harsh treatment of ethnic minorities.
“After nearly a decade in prison and years in solitary confinement, no incriminating evidence was found during a closed trial,” he remarked.
It’s estimated that around 2 million Uyghurs are currently detained in these camps, facing indoctrination, severe human rights violations, including torture and forced sterilization.
