China: Yunnan Muslims Protest Imam’s Detention

Hundreds of Muslims on Sunday protested outside the Yuxi city government in Yunnan province, China, following the detention of Imam Ma Yuwei from the Yuxi Daying Mosque, RFA reported. The police arrested Ma while he was dining at a local restaurant, prompting local Muslims to gather and demand his release.

Protesters prayed outside government buildings and submitted petitions seeking explanations for Ma’s arrest and assurances of their religious freedoms. Activists suggest that recent international events may have heightened the Chinese Communist Party’s concerns about stability within Muslim communities.

Eyewitness accounts indicate that police cordoned off the protest area, deploying significant military presence. Imam Ma, respected for his religious dedication, has faced repeated targeting under the government’s “sinicization” policy aimed at controlling religious practices. His arrest is part of a broader crackdown on religious expression in China, particularly among Muslim communities.