Uyghur Muslims
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Uyghur Muslims
The Uyghurs are the largest minority ethnic group in China's north-western province of Xinjiang
Satellite images show rapid construction of camps in Xinjiang, like this one near Dabancheng
Uyghur women pick cotton in Xinjiang. Rights groups have voiced concerns about forced labour in the region
What are the allegations against China?
What was the build-up to the crackdown?
China has been accused of committing crimes against humanity and possibly genocide against the Uyghur population and other mostly-Muslim ethnic groups in the north-western region of Xinjiang.
Human rights groups believe China has detained more than one million Uyghurs against their will over the past few years in a large network of what the state calls "re-education camps", and sentenced hundreds of thousands to prison terms.
A series of police files obtained by the BBC in 2022 has revealed details of China's use of these camps and described the routine use of armed officers and the existence of a shoot-to-kill policy for those trying to escape.
The US is among several countries to have previously accused China of committing genocide in Xinjiang. The leading human rights groups Amnesty and Human Rights Watch have published reports accusing China of crimes against humanity.
China denies all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. The Chinese government - speaking after details of the Xinjiang Police Files were published - said the peace and prosperity brought to Xinjiang as a result of its anti-terrorism measures were the best response to "all sorts of lies".
There are about 12 million Uyghurs, mostly Muslim, living in Xinjiang, which is officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR).
The Uyghurs speak their own language, which is similar to Turkish, and see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to Central Asian nations. They make up less than half of the Xinjiang population.
Recent decades have seen a mass migration of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) into Xinjiang, allegedly orchestrated by the state to dilute the minority population there.
China has also been accused of targeting Muslim religious figures and banning religious practices in the region, as well as destroying mosques and tombs.
Uyghur activists say they fear that the group's culture is under threat of erasure.
Xinjiang lies in the north-west of China and is the country's largest region. Like Tibet, it is autonomous, meaning - in theory - it has some powers of self-governance. But in practice, both regions are subjected to major restrictions by the central government.
Xinjiang is a mostly desert region and produces about a fifth of the world's cotton. Human rights groups have voiced concerns that much of that cotton export is picked by forced labour, and in 2021 some Western brands removed Xinjiang cotton from their supply chains, leading to a backlash against the brands from Chinese celebrities and netizens.
In December 2020, research seen by the BBC showed that up to half a million people were being forced to pick cotton in Xinjiang. There is evidence that new factories have been built within the grounds of the re-education camps.
The region is also rich in oil and natural gas and because of its proximity to Central Asia and Europe is seen by Beijing as an important trade link.
In the early 20th Century, the Uyghurs briefly declared independence for the region but it was brought under the complete control of China's new Communist government in 1949.
Several countries, including the US, UK, Canada and the Netherlands, have accused China of committing genocide - defined by international convention as the "intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group".
The declarations follow reports that, as well as interning Uyghurs in camps, China has been forcibly mass sterilising Uyghur women to suppress the population, separating children from their families, and attempting to break the cultural traditions of the group.
The UK parliament declared in April 2021 that China was committing a genocide in Xinjiang.
A UN human rights committee in 2018 said it had credible reports that China was holding up to a million people in "counter-extremism centres" in Xinjiang.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute found evidence in 2020 of more than 380 of these "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, an increase of 40% on previous estimates.
Analysis of data contained in the latest police documents, called the Xinjiang Police Files , showed that almost 23,000 residents - or more than 12% of the adult population of one county - were in a camp or prison in the years 2017 and 2018. If applied to Xinjiang as a whole, the figures would mean the detention of more than 1.2 million Uyghur and other Turkic minority adults.
The UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the files contained "shocking details of China's human rights violations".
In 2018, the BBC found all reporting was tightly controlled
Earlier, leaked documents known as the China Cables made clear that the camps were intended to be run as high security prisons, with strict discipline and punishments.
People who have managed to escape the camps have reported physical, mental and sexual torture. Women have spoken of mass rape and sexual abuse.
Anti-Han and separatist sentiment rose in Xinjiang from the 1990s, sometimes flaring into violence. In 2009 about 200 people died in clashes in Xinjiang, which the Chinese blamed on Uyghurs who wanted their own state. But in recent years a massive security crackdown has crushed dissent.
Xinjiang is now covered by a pervasive network of surveillance, including police, checkpoints, and cameras that scan everything from number plates to individual faces. According to Human Rights Watch, police are also using a mobile app to monitor people's behaviour, such as how much electricity they are using and how often they use their front door.
Since 2017, when President Xi Jinping issued an order saying all religions in China should be Chinese in orientation, there have been further crackdowns. Campaigners say China is trying to eradicate Uyghur culture.
The Xinjiang Police Files, which all date from before 2019, shed further light on Uyghurs being punished for alleged crimes that took place years ago. Many appear to have been targeted for their mobile phone use, for listening to "illegal lectures" or not using their phones enough, which is regarded as a sign the user is trying to evade digital surveillance.
China's ambassador: "There is no such concentration camp in Xinjiang"
China denies all allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang. In response to the Xinjiang Police Files, China's foreign ministry spokesman told the BBC that the documents were "the latest example of anti-China voices trying to smear China". He said Xinjiang enjoyed stability and prosperity and residents were living happy, fulfilled lives.
China says the crackdown in Xinjiang is necessary to prevent terrorism and root out Islamist extremism and the camps are an effective tool for re-educating inmates in its fight against terrorism.
It insists that Uyghur militants are waging a violent campaign for an independent state by plotting bombings, sabotage and civic unrest, but it is accused of exaggerating the threat in order to justify repression of the Uyghurs.
China has dismissed claims it is trying to reduce the Uyghur population through mass sterilisations as "baseless", and says allegations of forced labour are "completely fabricated".
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Former UN Ambassador Nicky Haley says China keeps her awake at night. One reason is the horrific treatment of the Uyghur Muslims. Haley reminds us that we promised to never again turn our eyes away from genocide.
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Among China’s 56 minority groups, 10 are Muslim, including Hui, Uyghur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Uzbek, and Tartar. Hui Muslims slightly outnumber Uyghurs but blend in well throughout the entire country. They already know Mandarin, understand the Confucian culture, and look Chinese. In contrast, Uyghurs live in Xinjiang and resemble Central Asians. They resent Han Chinese moving into their mineral-rich province, taking over top jobs, and forcing them to work in textile mills. Besides, they have chafed under Beijing’s heavy-handed rule for decades.
Along with others, Muslims suffered during China’s Cultural Revolution (1966-69), but after 9-11, they were viewed with suspicion. As time went on, the Uyghur-Han conflict intensified, with Urumqi, Xinjiang’s capital as the hot spot. They face numerous allegations: In 2009, 197 were killed in riots, mostly Han, and a message spread on social media: “Kill the Han.” “Kill the Hui.” In June of 2012, they were accused of trying to hijack a plane but were overpowered by passengers and crew. In 2014, 2 cars reportedly crashed into a Urumqi market, and explosives were thrown into the crowd. Later that year, it is said that Uyghur terrorists stabbed 150 people at a train station, killing 31. Authorities called it “ China’s 9-11 .”
With this backdrop, President Xi visited Xinjiang in 2014, and secretly instructed officials to wage an all-out war against religious extremism and separatism–with “ absolutely no mercy. ” After inspecting police tactics in Urumqi, he said they were too primitive: “Dictatorship” tools were necessary to eradicate radical Islam because of the “toxicity of religious extremism.” It is like “taking a drug; you lose your senses, go crazy and will do anything … we must be as harsh as them.” Strangely, all outward signs of Muslim piety were deemed “extreme”–veils, beards, and prayers 5 times a day–even giving up smoking or drinking! In short, Uyghur faith, mosques, schools, traditions, culture, and language were to be wiped out in the “People’s War” against terrorism. Anyone who called himself Uyghur had a mistaken identity.
Rather than targeting a few criminals, through technology, Xi put the entire Muslim population of 15 million in Xinjiang under surveillance . In August of 2016, a hard-liner, by the name of Chen Quanguo was appointed to execute a very “fierce campaign.” Previous administrations had been too “soft,” so Chen told police to “round up everyone who should be rounded up.” Soon, “re-education” camps popped up throughout the province as well as a massive system of sophisticated checkpoints: Cameras were omnipresent, and tens of thousands of extra police were hired to scan Muslim’s phones and confiscate passports. Chen required physicals for everyone, collecting biometric data–blood types, fingerprints, voiceprints, iris patterns, urine samples, and DNA samples under the guise of medical care. These were stored in a massive data bank. Facial-recognition software greatly facilitated detection and Muslims could be arrested for as little as visiting a foreign website. For a fuller report on China’s use of technology for Uyghur surveillance, see “ How Mass Surveillance Works in Xinjiang, China. “
Conservative figures put one in ten Uyghurs in camps and that means over a million. First-hand accounts are grim–squalid conditions and torture rooms that include beatings and electric shocks. Detainees are strip-searched, forced to sign documents that express regret with a promise to never repeat the mistake–even though they may not know what the mistake was. Detention rooms are like cages, equipped with cameras and a microphone hanging from the ceiling. One woman said guards follow them everywhere—even to the bathroom: They have 3 minutes to wash their faces and brush their teeth, 1 minute to urinate and 5 minutes to shower. Every moment is controlled, and every movement is monitored. Commands are screamed out in ear-splitting Mandarin–a language older Uyghur women cannot understand. Lights are on 24-7, and no one can cover their eyes. Prisoners are told to love the party, love the state, and above all to keep smiling. No tears are allowed.
According to the BBC, this is what is happening to Uyghur women. “… Rape has become a culture. It is gang rape, and the Chinese police not only rape them but also electrocute them … “ Another said, “They not only rape but also bite all over your body, you don’t know if they are human or animal … they didn’t spare any part of the body …” “… One girl became completely different after that [rape and torture], wouldn’t speak to anyone, she sat quietly staring off into space … like someone who simply existed, otherwise she was dead … in my opinion, everyone who leaves the camps is finished … their goal is to destroy everyone … And everybody knows it.” In a separate incident, a young woman was gang raped in front of 100 other detainees to force a confession. Police took turns raping her, and as the young woman cried out for help, onlookers were monitored by cameras. If they showed any sign of resistance, they were singled out for punishment.
For years China has been lying about what goes on in the camps, but we know differently. The UN calls it genocide, as does the US State Department, and last year Southern Baptists passed “ Resolution 8 on the Uyghur Genocide. ” Ambassador Haley asked us to boycott the Winter Olympics in Beijing, and most nations refused to send a single diplomat. Our promise to never again turn our eyes from genocide brings back memories of Anne Frank, Auschwitz, and the Holocaust. Jewish eyes appear to see most clearly what China is doing: UHRP (Uyghur Human Rights Project) “’Never Again’ Commentary and Jewish Voices for Uyghur Human Rights.” The 15-page document lists hundreds of Jewish voices comparing China to the Nazis.
The US Press Secretary Jen Psaki echoes Nikki Haley’s concerns in a recent briefing saying, “The international community, including the public and private sectors, cannot look the other way when it comes to what is taking place in Xinjiang.” For more on Uyghurs in China see Uyghur Genocide: Standing up for Persecuted Muslims.
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Alternate titles: Uighur, Uygur, Weiwu’er
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Last Updated:
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A report from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights , released on August 31, found that the Chinese government had committed serious human rights violations in the Xinjiang autonomous re
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