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:
Interview: ‘I Did Not Believe I Would Leave Prison in China Alive’
Tursun was taken into custody several times, including at one of a network of political “re-education camps,” where Chinese authorities began detaining Uyghurs accused of harboring “strong religious views” and “politically incorrect” ideas in April 2017. Tursun said she was targeted because she had lived in Egypt—one of a number of countries blacklisted by authorities in the XUAR because of a perceived threat of religious radicalization.
PART III: Interview: ‘We tell them that they would be banned from seeing their family again.’
An officer at a police station in Kashgar prefecture recently told RFA’s Uyghur Service about the conditions at a camp where he worked as a guard for 10 months. In the third part of the interview, the officer—who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal—describes how the ban on religious practices in the camp affects bedtime, and even the specific language detainees can use when talking with family members.
China’s Government Has Ordered a Million Citizens to Occupy Uighur Homes. Here’s What They Think They’re Doing.
Little attention has been paid to the mobilization of more than a million Chinese civilians to aid the military and police in their repressive campaign by occupying the homes of Xinjiang’s Uighurs and other Muslim minorities.
PART II: Interview: ‘We Can Observe The Toilet With Cameras as Well’
An officer at a police station in Kashgar prefecture recently told RFA’s Uyghur Service about the conditions at a camp where he worked as a guard for 10 months. In the second part of the interview, the officer—who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal—describes the stern regimen detainees must follow in one camp.
Interview: ‘We Give Them a Warning Before Ordering Them to Stand as Punishment’
An officer at a police station in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture recently told RFA’s Uyghur Service about the conditions at a camp where he worked as a guard for 10 months. In the first part of an interview, the officer—who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal—detailed the layout of the camp, the daily routine of the detainees, and the punishments they were subjected to if they did not obey the rules.
Behind The Walls: Uyghurs Detail Their Experience in China’s Secret ‘Re-education’ Camps
RFA’s Uyghur Service recently interviewed several Uyghurs who shared details of the abuse they endured while forced to attend political indoctrination sessions, or while detained in extrajudicial prisons and in the re-education camp network.
Chinese Authorities Jail Four Wealthiest Uyghurs in Xinjiang’s Kashgar in New Purge
Authorities in northwestern China’s Xinjiang region have jailed the four wealthiest ethnic Uyghurs in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) city for acts of “religious extremism,” according to an official, amid a crackdown he said is unlikely to end any time soon.
Uyghur Teenager Dies in Custody at Political Re-Education Camp
A teenage Uyghur boy detained for traveling overseas has died of unknown causes at a political “re-education camp” in Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture, in northwest China’s Xinjiang region, according to local authorities.
Uyghur Muslim Scholar Dies in Chinese Police Custody
A prominent Uyghur Islamic scholar has died in Chinese police custody, some 40 days after he was detained in the Xinjiang regional capital Urumqi, overseas Uyghur organizations said on Monday.
China Dangles Huge Payouts For Tips on ‘Terrorists’ in Largely Uyghur Hotan Prefecture
Authorities in northwest China’s Xinjiang region have earmarked a substantial amount of cash to reward residents of Hotan (in Chinese, Hetian) prefecture who report “acts of terrorism” in the predominantly ethnic Uyghur-inhabited area, according to official sources.
China Detains Kazakhs During 'Unity Week' in Troubled Xinjiang Region
Chinese authorities in the northwestern region of Xinjiang have detained dozens of people for retweeting electronic greetings cards celebrating independence day in neighboring Kazakhstan, which marks its independence from the former Soviet Union on Dec. 16, RFA has learned.
Nearly 10 Percent of Residents of a Xinjiang Township Detained by Chinese Authorities
Authorities in northwest China’s Xinjiang region have detained nearly 10 percent of the population of a township in ethnic Uyghur-dominated Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) prefecture, according to sources, following an incident three years ago.
China Runs Region-wide Re-education Camps in Xinjiang for Uyghurs And Other Muslims
Thousands of Uyghurs and other Muslim ethnic minorities are being held in re-education camps without contact with their families under a policy designed to counter extremism in the northwestern Chinese region of Xinjiang, local officials told RFA’s Uyghur Service.
Xinjiang Authorities Ban Books by Uyghur Former Chairman of Region
Authorities in the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang region have banned the sale of books by the region’s first chairman, an ethnic Uyghur, despite his support for the ruling Communist Party.
Xinjiang Police Search Uyghur Homes For ‘Illegal Items’
Authorities in Xinjiang have begun searching the homes of mostly Muslim ethnic Uyghurs for “illegal items,” including religious materials and attire, according to official sources.
Uyghur Farmers Sent to School in China ‘Anti-Extremism’ Drive
Uyghur farmers in northwestern China’s troubled Xinjiang region are being forced to attend evening classes in a new drive aimed at bringing them in line with official views on religion and government policy, sources in the mostly-Muslim ethnic area say.
The ‘Hashar’ Continues in China’s Xinjiang
In an effort to exert more control in China’s troubled Xinjiang region, Beijing is forcing the Uyghur people to work for free on various public works projects, according to a World Uyghur Congress (WUC) report issued this month. Called the “hashar” by the Uyghurs, the WUC contends that the Chinese government is using the system of forced labor as another way to repress the local people in the region.
Is China changing its policy towards Uighur Muslims?
Has China just issued its first conciliatory statement towards the Uighur Muslim ethnic group, which has been persecuted for years? Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang, speaking to the Communist Party chief and party delegates of Xinjiang province, appeared to be acknowledging for the first time the deep frustration felt by young Uighurs, the eradication of Uighur culture and, most seriously, the lack of jobs in the province.
Nearly Two Dozen Uyghurs Jailed For ‘Illegal Religious Activities’
Authorities in northwestern China’s restive Xinjiang region have sentenced to prison nearly two dozen Uyghurs for illegal religious activities and other infractions in a move condemned by Uyghur exile groups.
Beijing Criticized For Arbitrary Detention of Uyghur Scholar
Uyghur advocacy groups have criticised Chinese authorities over the arbitrary detention of outspoken Uyghur scholar Ilham Tohti, saying it signaled President Xi Jinping's new hardline approach in Xinjiang.