Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya says 'nobody cares' about Uyghur genocide in China

cnbc.com:

WASHINGTON – Billionaire investor Chamath Palihapitiya triggered a backlash on social media after saying during a recent episode of his podcast that «nobody cares» about the ongoing human rights abuses against the Uyghurs in China.

During a 90-minute episode, Palihapitiya told co-host Jason Calacanis on their «All-In» podcast that he would be lying if he said that he cared about the Uyghurs, an ethnic Muslim minority in China's northwest region of Xinjiang.

«Every time I say that I care about the Uyghurs, I'm really just lying if I don't really care. And so, I'd rather not lie to you and tell you the truth, it's not a priority for me,» said Palihapitiya, a venture capitalist who owns 10% of the NBA team the Golden State Warriors.

The team wrote in a statement on Twitter Monday that Palihapitiya «does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don't reflect those of our organization.» The Golden State Warriors' statement did not mention the Uyghurs or China.

Calacanis and Palihapitiya began talking about the Uyghurs when Calacanis praised President Joe Biden's foreign policy approach to China.

The Biden administration has described the abuse of Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities in the region as «widespread, state-sponsored forced labor» and «mass detention.» The Biden administration has also warned businesses with supply chain and investment ties to Xinjiang that they could face legal consequences.

In July, that warning manifested as a joint advisory from the Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security and Labor, along with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The most-pointed line from the Xinjiang Supply Chain Business Advisory states that «businesses and