{"id":4095,"date":"2018-09-30T12:25:35","date_gmt":"2018-09-30T12:25:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.iuhrdf.org\/en\/2018\/09\/30\/china-claims-muslim-detention-camps-are-education-centres\/"},"modified":"2018-09-30T12:25:35","modified_gmt":"2018-09-30T12:25:35","slug":"china-claims-muslim-detention-camps-are-education-centres","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/china-claims-muslim-detention-camps-are-education-centres\/","title":{"rendered":"China claims Muslim detention camps are education centres"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Chinese officials have pushed back against growing criticism of the detention of Muslim minorities in internment camps, claiming authorities are merely providing professional training and education.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Beijing is facing allegations of mass incarceration and repression of Uighurs, Kazakhs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang in China\u2019s north-west. An estimated&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nchrd.org\/2018\/08\/china-massive-numbers-of-uyghurs-other-ethnic-minorities-forced-into-re-education-programs\/\" name=\"in body link\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">1.1 million people<\/a>&nbsp;have been placed in internment camps, including re-education camps where, according to former detainees and other witnesses, inmates are subjected to intense political indoctrination and abuse.<\/span><\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 1\" style=\"float: left; margin: 0.3125rem 1.25rem 0.75rem -15rem; clear: both; width: 13.75rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-feature--item rich-link--pillar-news\" style=\"background-color: rgb(246, 246, 246); position: relative; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__container\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__image-container u-responsive-ratio\" style=\"width: 220px; padding-bottom: 132px; position: relative; overflow: hidden; transition: background-color 0.25s ease 0s; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"contentURL\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/18b77ff909660fc5112ed2abb15e5c29a34e325e\/0_883_3529_2117\/master\/3529.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=5592ea0b82cd2537e78d97f9f835aa9b\" style=\"width: 220px; height: 132px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__header\" style=\"font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.5rem; font-family: &quot;Guardian Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; padding: 0.125rem 0.3125rem 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; min-height: 2.25rem;\">\n<h1 class=\"rich-link__title\" style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font: inherit;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><a class=\"rich-link__link\" style=\"background: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; color: inherit; cursor: pointer;\">&#8216;My soul, where are you?&#8217;: families of Muslims missing in China meet <\/a><\/span><a class=\"rich-link__link\" style=\"background: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; color: inherit; cursor: pointer;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">wall<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><a class=\"rich-link__link\" style=\"background: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; color: inherit; cursor: pointer;\"> of silence<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more\" style=\"padding-left: 0.3125rem;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__arrow\" style=\"display: inline-block;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__arrow\" style=\"display: inline-block;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span class=\"inline-arrow-in-circle inline-icon \" style=\"fill: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"><svg class=\"inline-arrow-in-circle__svg inline-icon__svg\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\"><path class=\"rich-link__arrow-icon\" d=\"M12 0C5.373 0 0 5.373 0 12s5.373 12 12 12 12-5.373 12-12S18.627 0 12 0m.21 19l-.637-.668 4.888-6.326H4.996v-1.01h11.465l-4.888-6.333.637-.668L19 11.153v.685l-6.79 7.157\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more-text\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem; font-family: &quot;Guardian Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; display: inline-block; height: 1.875rem; line-height: 1.625rem; padding-left: 0.125rem; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(199, 0, 0);\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Read more<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">\u201cIt is not mistreatment,\u201d Li Xiaojun, the director for publicity at the Bureau of Human Rights Affairs of the State Council Information Office, told reporters on Thursday, according to Reuters. \u201cWhat&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/china\" name=\"auto-linked-tag\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">China<\/a>&nbsp;is doing is to establish professional training <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">centres<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"> \u2013 educational <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">centres<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Li added: \u201cIf you do not say it\u2019s the best way, maybe it\u2019s the necessary way to deal with Islamic or religious extremism, because the west has failed in doing so. Look at Belgium, look at Paris, look at some other European countries. You have failed.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">China\u2019s restrictive policies in&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/xinjiang\" name=\"auto-linked-tag\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">Xinjiang<\/a>, part of a \u201cstrike hard\u201d campaign to counter terrorism after riots by ethnic people in 2009, has come under increasing scrutiny as media reports, witness accounts and documentation of the camps accumulate. China denies any camps are used for political indoctrination.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Two former detainees of a re-education camp told the Guardian they were forced to&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/sep\/13\/uighur-xinjiang-family-missing-china-kazakhstan\" name=\"in body link\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">learn Mandarin Chinese, sing patriotic songs<\/a>, and study Chinese Communist party doctrine. Both said they were not taught any vocational skills.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Conditions in re-education facilities and other internment camps have been described as inhumane. One former detainee said he was forced to wear \u201ciron clothes\u201d, an outfit of metal claws and rods that left him immobile, for 12 hours as punishment for disobeying a guard. An ex-detainee of a women\u2019s detention <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">centre<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"> told the Guardian she witnessed a woman having her feet and hands chained together for four days.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">According to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on Monday, former detainees described being denied food, being shackled or forced to stand for 24 hours, and being subjected to solitary confinement and sleep deprivation.<\/span><\/p>\n<aside class=\"element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded\" data-component=\"rich-link\" data-link-name=\"rich-link-2 | 2\" style=\"float: left; margin: 0.3125rem 1.25rem 0.75rem -15rem; clear: both; width: 13.75rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link tone-feature--item rich-link--pillar-news\" style=\"background-color: rgb(246, 246, 246); position: relative; overflow: hidden;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__container\" style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__image-container u-responsive-ratio\" style=\"width: 220px; padding-bottom: 132px; position: relative; overflow: hidden; transition: background-color 0.25s ease 0s; background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" itemprop=\"contentURL\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/029b4a07262f20c5d4257a71a70e839c869fd709\/207_191_4003_2403\/master\/4003.jpg?width=460&amp;quality=85&amp;auto=format&amp;fit=max&amp;s=9c21c394f2e7192a69d562e43d6d0183\" style=\"width: 220px; height: 132px; position: absolute; top: 0px; left: 0px;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__header\" style=\"font-size: 1.25rem; line-height: 1.5rem; font-family: &quot;Guardian Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; padding: 0.125rem 0.3125rem 0.5em; box-sizing: border-box; min-height: 2.25rem;\">\n<h1 class=\"rich-link__title\" style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; font: inherit;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><a class=\"rich-link__link\" style=\"background: transparent; touch-action: manipulation; color: inherit; cursor: pointer;\">\u2018We\u2019re a people destroyed\u2019: why Uighur Muslims across China are living in fear<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more\" style=\"padding-left: 0.3125rem;\">\n<div class=\"rich-link__arrow\" style=\"display: inline-block;\">&nbsp;<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-link__arrow\" style=\"display: inline-block;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"><span class=\"inline-arrow-in-circle inline-icon \" style=\"fill: rgb(255, 255, 255);\"><svg class=\"inline-arrow-in-circle__svg inline-icon__svg\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" width=\"24\"><path class=\"rich-link__arrow-icon\" d=\"M12 0C5.373 0 0 5.373 0 12s5.373 12 12 12 12-5.373 12-12S18.627 0 12 0m.21 19l-.637-.668 4.888-6.326H4.996v-1.01h11.465l-4.888-6.333.637-.668L19 11.153v.685l-6.79 7.157\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"rich-link__read-more-text\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem; font-family: &quot;Guardian Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; display: inline-block; height: 1.875rem; line-height: 1.625rem; padding-left: 0.125rem; vertical-align: top; color: rgb(199, 0, 0);\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Read more<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">The UN has called on&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/aug\/31\/detention-of-uighurs-must-end-un-tells-china-amid-claims-of-mass-prison-camps\" name=\"in body link\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">China to release<\/a>&nbsp;all those arbitrarily detained while the US government is reportedly&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/sep\/12\/us-considers-sanctions-on-china-over-treatment-of-uighurs\" name=\"in body link\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">considering sanctions<\/a>&nbsp;against Chinese officials and companies involved in the construction of the camps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">As global attention to Xinjiang has grown, China\u2019s response has shifted from blanket denial to justification. On Monday, Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, said in response to the HRW report: \u201cThe series of measures implemented in Xinjiang are meant to improve stability, development, solidarity and &#8230; <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">crack down<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"> on ethnic separatist activities and violent and terrorist crimes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">At a&nbsp;<a class=\"u-underline\" data-link-=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/2018\/aug\/13\/china-state-media-defend-intense-controls-xinjiang-uighurs\" name=\"in body link\" style=\"background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; touch-action: manipulation; color: rgb(171, 6, 19); cursor: pointer; border-bottom: 0.0625rem solid rgb(220, 220, 220); transition: border-color 0.15s ease-out 0s;\">UN panel last month<\/a>, Hu Lianhe, a representative for the Chinese delegation, said there was \u201cno such thing as re-education <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">centres<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\"> in Xinjiang\u201d, but went on to describe vocational <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">centres<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">\u201cFor those who are convicted of minor <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">offences<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">, we help and teach them in vocational skills in education and training <\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">centres<\/span><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">, according to relevant laws. There is no arbitrary detention and torture,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 1rem; color: rgb(18, 18, 18); font-family: &quot;Guardian Text Egyptian Web&quot;, Georgia, serif; font-size: 17px; font-variant-ligatures: common-ligatures;\"><span style=\"font-size:14px;\">Source: The Guardian<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chinese officials have pushed back against growing criticism of the detention of Muslim minorities in internment camps, claiming authorities are merely providing professional training and education. Beijing is facing allegations&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4094,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-4095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4095\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4095"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iuhrdf.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=4095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}