Were Uyghurs optimistic when the Olympic torch was handed over to China in 2004?
Yes, but not only the Uyghurs, the World was very optimistic about the new future of China when the Olympic torch was handed over to this massively populated repressive communist country. The World community believed the goodness and power of the Olympic spirit and they dreamed of friendship, freedom, peace and human solidarity in China. Smiles and hope came back to the faces of the Uyghurs who have been oppressed by China because they expected China to reduce its oppressive regime in order to not ruin its reputation before the Olympics. They wished that China may respect the dignity of the Olympic spirit and return the rights of Uyghur people that had been forcibly taken away. But, unfortunately, there has been no change, with only one month left before the Beijing Olympics begin. On the contrary, the Olympics became another excuse for China to justify mass arrests of Uyghurs in East Turkistan and its repressive policy. Chinese media published that there are Uyghur terrorists that pla
