Beijing, February 28: Despite Beijing’s claims that Xinjiang has returned to a state of normalcy, a recent report by Radio Free Asia (RFA) reveals that China continues to detain over half a million Uyghurs in prisons or detention facilities, with the oppression of this ethnic group intensifying. The findings contradict the Chinese government’s narrative, highlighting the ongoing and severe human rights violations in the region.
According to a 30-page report from the Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, an additional 3 million Uyghurs were subjected to forced labor in 2023 alone. The report utilized Chinese government documents, satellite images, survivor testimonies, and academic research to substantiate its claims. Investigators noted that China’s repressive measures, which led the United States to label the treatment of Uyghurs as genocide, have continued from 2022 to 2024.
The report outlines key findings, including the continued mass detentions of Uyghurs in facilities known as “kanshousuo,” which are nominally for temporary pretrial incarceration and interrogation. While China has closed its supposed vocational training centers, these facilities have been replaced with other forms of detention, and many individuals previously held in these camps have been transferred to forced labor or prison systems. The number of Turkic minority individuals detained is estimated to exceed half a million, though the actual number could be higher.
Furthermore, the report highlights other forms of oppression, such as forced labor and the relocation of Turkic minority children into Han households through residential schools. These practices have broadened, suggesting an expansion of China’s repressive policies.
Human rights organizations and Uyghur advocacy groups have criticized China for attempting to downplay these atrocities. Beijing has been arranging controlled tours for diplomats and selected individuals, showing Uyghurs who appear to live content lives, an effort to mask the reality of widespread human rights violations in Xinjiang.
The ongoing plight of the Uyghur population, centered in Xinjiang, has drawn significant international scrutiny. Reports continue to highlight widespread abuses, including forced labor, arbitrary detentions in “re-education” camps, and extensive surveillance, painting a grim picture of the situation in the region.