China Still Holding Uighurs in Camps & Prisons

Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China —(Map)

Recent reports show that China’s efforts to punish and control Uighur people in Xinjiang have grown in recent years. A statement from Chinese leader Xi Jinping makes it clear that the government’s plans are unlikely to change.

China’s government keeps strong control over its people, limiting what they can see, hear, and read. The government doesn’t believe in God and makes life hard for people who are religious.

Uighurs are an ethnic minority who live in Xinjiang. Uighurs are Muslims who speak their own language. Above, a Uighur family prays during a Muslim festival in 2016.

In the past, many Uighurs in Xinjiang protested against the Chinese government’s attempts at control. Some want Xinjiang to be independent from China. Starting in 2009, there were increased protests and violent attacks, which China’s government moved to shut down.

In 2018, it was reported that the Chinese government had put as many as 1 million Uighurs into “detention centers” – special prison-like camps.

In 2018, it was reported that the Chinese government had put as many as 1 million Uighurs into “detention centers” – special prison-like camps. The news group Reuters made the post below at the time.

At first, the Chinese government said the camps didn’t exist. Later, it said that the centers were training camps to help Uighurs get good jobs.

Over time, details came out about the camps, showing that they’re designed to change the way Uighurs think and act. In the camps, Uighurs are forced to say that China and its leaders are good. They are also made to say they’re sorry for praying or wearing religious clothes.

At first, the Chinese government said the camps didn’t exist. Later, it said that the centers were camps for job training. Over time, details came out about the camps, showing that they’re designed to change the way Uighurs think and act. Above, a camp near Hotan.

Last year, Xinjiang’s governor said that all the “trainees” had “completed their studies” and had “returned to society”.

A new report by ASPI (Australian Strategic Policy Institute) shows that the opposite is true. Chinese efforts to lock up and control Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang have increased.

Last year, Xinjiang’s governor said that all the “trainees” had “completed their studies” and had “returned to society”. A new report by ASPI shows that the opposite is true. Above, a camp near Kashgar in 2019.

Researchers working for ASPI built a more complete record of these efforts in Xinjiang, using daytime and nighttime satellite images, as well as news stories, and reports from people who have seen the camps.

ASPI says there are now over 380 detention centers in Xinjiang. Over 60 sites have been built or expanded in the last year. Fourteen camps are still being built. The ASPI report suggests that many Uighurs have been moved into prisons.

The ASPI report also seems to confirm reports that Uighurs are forced to do factory work. These factories produce items that are often sold in Europe and the United States.

The US has already blocked several items produced in Xinjiang. Last week, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that would block all products from Xinjiang except those that could prove they weren’t made using prisoners forced to work.

But international pressure on China isn’t new and isn’t likely to have much effect. China has convinced a number of other countries to support its efforts in Xinjiang.

Late last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping described the government’s work in Xinjiang as “totally correct”.

International pressure on China isn’t new and isn’t likely to have much effect. Late last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping (shown above during a different event in early September) described the government’s work in Xinjiang as “totally correct”.

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Did You Know…?
Different, but related efforts are taking place in Tibet, another area that China has struggled to control. The government is pressuring local farmers to join military-style training camps to turn them into factory workers and move them to other parts of Tibet or China.

A recent report stated that over 500,000 people were trained in the first seven months of 2020. China’s government denies that the workers are forced.