Why Chinese Government Policy in Xinjiang Has Led to Protests

 by  Isabella Frobisher

Since 2015, China has been developing highly secure compounds on an astounding scale in the deserts in the region of Xinjiang in China. It is estimated that since 2017, at least 1 million Muslims have been interned with at least 85 camps being identified. The compounds are designed to lock up thousands and thousands of Muslims to ‘educate’ them, particularly Uyghur Muslims, who are Turkish-speaking and live predominantly in the region of Xinjiang. This ‘education’ entails the people to be subject to intense surveillance, forced labour and involuntary sterilisations among a wide range of other rights abuses. Several countries including the United States have referred to these actions being that of ‘genocide’ whereas, the UN human rights office has claimed that they have ‘not infringed on Uyghurs’ rights’ and that the camps closed in 2019. However, satellite photos show compounds that are still present today and are continuously being developed such as an increasing number of guard towers and more facilities emerging within the compound itself.

Why are these ‘re-education schools’ in Xinjiang? Xinjiang before the Communist rule of China occasionally slipped from China’s grip with brief periods of independence as it has a history of rebellion and resistance to Chinese rule. Additionally, this region which houses more than 10 million Uighurs is five times the size of Germany and has significantly helped the rapid economic growth of China as it is particularly rich in oil and gas. Since the appearance of the compounds the resentment among the Uighurs has weakened and China's authorities have noted the need to raise the living standards for Xinjiang’s residents which they view as the introduction of these ‘re-education schools’. Therefore, China is trying to regain their authority in this region whilst also trying to get rid of what they view as ‘extremist groups’.

How does the general Chinese population react to these camps? Not only is there this frightening development in the quietness of the resistance in Xinjiang, but China is also using severe propaganda to promote these ‘re-education schools’. The state-run TV has been televising clean classrooms with grateful students who are willing to be there and engage with the work they are given. But it is worth noting that not a single one of the female students is wearing a headscarf and there is no outline for how long being at these ‘schools’ last. Citizens of the nearby region refer to those in the ‘schools’ as ‘having some problems with their thoughts’.

What is the extent of the restrictions placed on the Uighurs and the extent Chinese officials are going? Xinjiang’s birth rate has significantly plummeted since 2017 and more than 1,500 Uighurs have been detained abroad in their host countries or have been forced to return to China, showing the sheer scale of what Chinese authorities are going to. Regarding the birth rates mentioned, this decline has occurred as forced sterilisations have been reported of women, intrauterine device insertions and officials have detained anyone who violates birth-control orders. Certain baby names have been banned as well such as Mohammed and Medina. These are only part of the restrictions happening in Xinjiang and the figures are clear evidence of the massive impacts these restrictions are causing on the population and the extent Chinese officials are going to. 

But what globally are authorities doing in response to this? In 2022, certain Western countries on the UN Human Rights Council were considering a motion against China but nothing has happened of late. The United States has banned all imports from Xinjiang via the Uighur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the UK has stated measures that fine companies that fail to guarantee their supply chains don't use forced labour. Also in June 2022, sixty countries signed a statement stating that they want the UN human rights chiefs to respect Xinjiang-related issues as internal to China and that they ‘oppose the politicisation of human rights’. 

How is China at the moment able to continue to have these ‘re-education schools’ without any severe consequences? The fact that nothing directly has happened in response to these camps is that the world is so severely dependent on China for their exports such as computers and telephones. This dependency means that the world cannot afford to lose them and thus, they don't want to ‘upset them’. Therefore, nothing has been done yet in response to these ‘re-education schools’ but if they continue or get worse, who knows what authorities could do against China and what China does in response to them?