All Reading
This section contains a curated list of useful articles, investigations, books and other reading materials. The list is updated on a weekly basis and suggestions for additions are welcome.
Starting Points:
China: Hundreds of Uyghur Village Names Change
Chinese authorities in Xinjiang have been systematically changing hundreds of village names with religious, historical, or cultural meaning for Uyghurs into names reflecting recent Chinese Communist Party ideology.
Uyghur publisher jailed for books on Uyghur independence, identity
Believed detained for publishing books about Uyghur cultural identity, Erkin Emet was sentenced to prison in 2018; his whereabouts and the length of his sentence is unknown.
China: Mosques Shuttered, Razed, Altered in Muslim Areas
The Chinese government is significantly reducing the number of mosques in Ningxia and Gansu provinces under its “mosque consolidation” policy, in violation of the right to freedom of religion, Human Rights Watch said today.
Genocide Tours: International Travel Companies in East Turkistan
This new report highlights the troubling industry of organized travel to the Uyghur region, with companies continuing to offer tours despite ongoing crimes against humanity and genocide.
Demolition of Kashgar’s Khan Bazaar creates uncertain future for Uyghur shop owners
Kashgar’s centuries-old Khan Bazaar, is being demolished by Chinese authorities. Authorities in China’s Xinjiang region say they want to upgrade the area and replace dilapidated structures.
In Istanbul, the last Uyghur bookshops struggle to survive
Caught between a vindictive Chinese state and Turkish police, Uyghur booksellers try to preserve their language and culture.
Uyghur teacher confirmed detained in Xinjiang for work on literature textbooks
A middle-school teacher is serving a 19-year prison sentence, likely for his participation in the writing of Uyghur textbooks two decades ago, despite them being approved by Chinese authorities.
The Complicity of Heritage: Cultural Heritage and Genocide in the Uyghur Region
This report highlights how China’s actions constitute what UNESCO calls “strategic cultural cleansing”, through systematic destruction of cultural heritage and targeting people on the basis of their ethnic affiliation.
Renowned Uyghur poet dies following prison release in Xinjiang
A renowned Uyghur writer and poet in poor health when released from prison died on Dec. 18 because he could not obtain food or medical treatment amid a strict coronavirus lockdown, according to local information.
UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions Publishes Opinion on Uyghur Writer
On December 20th, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detentions (WGAD) announced its opinion on renowned Uyghur writer Yalqun Rozi, who was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment in 2016.
China is erasing their culture. In exile, Uyghurs remain defiant.
A growing Uyghur diaspora has found refuge—and a reconnection to their culture—in the neighborhoods of Istanbul.
Commission on China - Annual Report 2022
This year’s report documents the mass persecution that punctures the “Chinese human rights” narrative that Xi Jinping attempts to sell to the world.
Authorities in Xinjiang collect bodies of Uyghurs who died during COVID lockdown
Chinese authorities in Xinjiang arranged for the collection of bodies of Uyghur residents who died during a strict coronavirus lockdown, but did not allow their families to bury them in accordance with Uyghur customs and religious rituals.
Lack of Uyghur-language emergency services leads to more deaths in Xinjiang
Uyghur residents in a city in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region are suffering malnutrition and death despite the lifting of a coronavirus lockdown because of authorities’ failure to provide Uyghur language support for emergency services, locals said.
Cultural Heritage and Mass Atrocities
Assembling dozens of experts from the heritage, social science, humanitarian, legal, and military communities, this open-access book features a series of essays on the global value of cultural heritage, recent examples of intentional cultural heritage destruction across the globe, and how it can be protected.
The Black Gate: A Uyghur Family's Story, Part 1
This episode, the first of a two-part series, tells the story of one Uyghur man and his efforts to reunite with his wife and young children, who were detained by Chinese authorities. For two years, he had no idea what had happened to them.
Breaking Down the U.N.’s Report on Xinjiang
This review offers a comprehensive breakdown of the key findings within the report on Chinese government abuses in Xinjiang and its implications.
The Turkish school preserving culture of young Uighurs in exile
In Istanbul, children whose families face persecution in Xinjiang, China, attend a ‘Uighur School’ that strives to safeguard their cultural identity.
Uyghur poet and educator said to be serving 13-year prison term in Xinjiang
A prominent Uyghur poet and associate professor at a was detained as a “threat to social stability” and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2017 on a “separatism” charge, a local police officer told RFA.
Uyghur prisoners forced to speak in Chinese during virtual visits with relatives
Uyghurs prisoners in Xinjiang are forced to speak in Mandarin and perform obvious displays of subservience to their Chinese guards in monthly video calls with relatives, Uyghurs living in exile say.