Washington D.C., Apr 20, 2021 / 04:00 am
An international human rights organization has declared that China’s actions in the province of Xinjiang amount to crimes against humanity.
In a report released on Monday, the advocacy group Human Rights Watch said that the Chinese government operates hundreds of detention camps in Xinjiang purportedly for anti-terrorism and for vocational purposes; former detainees have reported systemic torture and sexual assault in the camps.
An estimated one million Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minorities in the region have been detained in the camps, some for “crimes” such as wearing traditional Uyghur clothing. Human Rights Watch detailed the claims in its report “‘Break Their Lineage, Break Their Roots’ China’s Crimes against Humanity Targeting Uyghurs and Other Turkic Muslims.”
The report’s title cites an August 10, 2017 quote from Maisumujiang Maimuer, a Chinese religious affairs official.