Published on 12:00 AM, December 10, 2019

XINJIANG CAMPS

All people ‘graduated’

Says China, slams foreign estimates of numbers detained

People held in camps in China’s Xinjiang region have now “graduated” and new trainees will have the freedom to come and go, the regional governor said yesterday.

Governor Shohrat Zakir also hit out at Western criticism of the camps and said the United States had launched a smear campaign against Xinjiang.

The United Nations and human rights groups estimate that between 1 million and 2 million people, mostly ethnic Uighur Muslims, have been detained in harsh conditions as part of what Beijing calls an anti-terrorism campaign.

China has repeatedly denied any mistreatment of Uighurs and says the camps provide vocational training. It describes the detainees as students.

“At present the trainees who have participated...have all graduated,” Zakir told a news conference in Beijing. “With the help of the government, stable employment has been achieved and their quality of life has been improved.”

Xinjiang will continue with training based on “independent will” and “the freedom to come and go”, he said.

China has not provided any official figures on how many people have been held in the camps but Zakhir said foreign estimates were “pure fabrication”. He gave no details.

He also called a measure passed by the US House of Representatives that condemned China’s treatment of the Uighur minority a severe violation of international law and a gross interference in China’s internal affairs.

“The US is getting restless and has launched a smear campaign against Xinjiang,” Zakir said. “But no force can stop Xinjiang’s progress toward stability and development.” Claims about the camps are hard to verify as China only allows periodic supervised visits and gives little information on their operations.