Today marks three years since my friend and colleague Rahile Dawut disappeared into China's internment camps.

Her only crime: being born a #Uyghur.

Rahile is a highly respected scholar of Uyghur religious traditions and oral literature. She is also a lovely human being.

1/5

In January 2017, the Chinese government-run journal Xinjiang Women honored Rahile by putting her on its cover.

In December of that year, the same government threw Rahile in an internment camp.

Three years have now passed. No charges, no date of release, no news. Just gone.

2/5

Rahile Dawut has done more than perhaps any other person to archive Uyghur oral literature.

She is a leading scholar of shrine pilgrimage among the Uyghurs.

She is a beloved mentor to a generation of Uyghur students, many of whom have gone on to their own scholarly careers

3/5

I've spent countless hours in conversation with Rahile, worked for her as a translator, and consider her a good friend. I've learned more from her than I could recount.

Rahile is a warm, kind, generous person with a terrific sense of humor and off-the-charts people skills.

4/5

I could go on about Rahile's achievements and everything else. But really, I shouldn't have to. Really, it should be enough to say that no person should be sent to an internment camp on the basis of their ethnicity.

It's been 3 years. That's 3 years too many. #FreeRahile

Pls RT