UTJD - Uyghur Transitional Justice Database...Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) is an...
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UTJD - Uyghur Transitional Justice Database
Documenting Human Rights Violations in East Turkistan
REPORT FEBRUARY 2020
Uyghur Transitional Justice Database
Documenting Human Rights Violations in East-Turkistan
February 2020
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Acknowledgments
This project is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). The work
described in this report would not have been possible without many volunteers, advice,
assistance and technical guidance from a number of individuals.
Author
Adiljan Abdurihim, Project Coordinator UTJD
Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD)
Ski, Norway
Website: https://www.utjd.org
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +47 998 50 702
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Table of Contents
Introduction 5
Background 7
Limitations 8
Participants 9
Methodology 10
Data 11 Variables 12 Results 13
Video Testimonies 13 Number of deaths 14 Number of survivors 15 Number of individuals at the risk of deportation 16 Number of known released individuals 17 Number of camps and prisons 18
Conclusion 19
References 20
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Introduction Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) is an ongoing project that focuses on the
registration of the disappeared and extrajudicially interned Uyghurs in East Turkistan
(called the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR)). For the purposes of this paper, we
will refer to this region as East Turkistan. We are building a comprehensive database to
document the ongoing atrocities being committed by the Chinese Communist Party against
the Uyghurs since the revision of its legislation in 2017 (amended Oct. 9, 2018) to “allow”
local governments to “educate and transform” people influenced by extremism at so-called
“vocational training centers”, also effectively known as internment camps or concentration
camps due to their extrajudicial nature in East Turkistan.
Image 1: Map of China
In August 2018, the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination expressed
concerns over the situation in East Turkistan. According to credible reports, the People’s
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Republic of China has extrajudicially interned as many as one million ethnic Muslim
minorities in “re-education camps” its concluding observations and requested that those in
arbitrary detention be released [1].
This report presents the findings of six months’ work done by the Uyghur Transitional
Database Project (UTJD) under the Norwegian Uyghur Committee (NUC). The objectives of
UTJD are to document and make available meaningful analysis of human rights violations in
East Turkistan. Furthermore to serve the information needs of the growing community of
organisations, UN and government officials, and other concerned individuals who seek
accountability for human rights violations against Uyghurs.
This paper includes data based on testimonies provided by the members of the Uyghur
Community abroad. The recent data consists of more in-depth interviews conducted by the
team. This is not an annual report, but it aims to provide a summary of the statistical data
collected so far. The project reflects the number of the data collected until 31 December
2019. A more detailed analysis of the available data will be published in the annual report.
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Background The Chinese government has long been carrying out repressive policies towards Uyghurs
and other Turkic ethnic groups in East Turkistan. The situation escalated dramatically in
2016 when Party Secretary Cheng Quanguo, who previously had been assigned to Tibet
Autonomous Region, (Xizang Autonomous Region), was assigned to East Turkistan.
The harsh rule of Chen Quanguo(陈全国) in East Turkistan was exacerbated by the
“Strike Hard Campaign against Violent Terrorism” which had been already introduced in
May 2014 by the Chinese government. This campaign aimed at crushing any form of
dissent in East Turkistan and targeted the Uyghur people as a whole, under the guise of
fighting “terrorism”. The Chinense government has frequently used the narrative of
“terrorism” to crack down on any form of peaceful dissent in East Turkistan. Such policies
have resulted in the increase of the number of people formally arrested by the
government. According to Chinese Human Rights Defenders, an advocacy group, 1 in 5
arrests in all of China in 2017 took place in the Uyghur Region [2]. Moreover, the detention
of Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups became easier. Hence, minor crimes or even
having relatives abroad can be the reason for internment.
The government has held people in pretrial detention centers (看守所) and prisons (监狱),
both of which are formal facilities, and in political education camps, which have no basis
under Chinese law. Those detained have been denied due process of law and suffered
torture and other ill-treatment. [3]
Chinese official documents and witness testimonials have proven that the camps were built
to totally assimilate and socially reengineer the Uyghur people. Detainees are subjected to
political indoctrination aimed at eroding ties to their unique ethnic identity and at fostering
loyalty to the Chinese government. This is part of a larger strategy from the Chinese
government which has aimed at undermining everything that makes the Uyghur people
unique. A series of repressive laws and policies were passed by national and regional
authorities targeting Uyghur language, religion, history, culture and identity. Up to this day,
the internment camps system is the most serious and disturbing element of this process.
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Limitations
Severely controlled East Turkistan makes it difficult to gather any data on the ground
directly Uyghurs living in East Turkistan. Often it is difficult to pinpoint the exact location of
the detained people. Moreover, the region is heavily surveilled with advanced technology
and rife with physical checkpoints. This makes the flow of information not only difficult but
also risky. Most Uyghurs do not speak out or share information due to fears that their
family could be punished for their actions. The Uyghur community abroad has been the
subject of harassments, threats and reprisals by Chinese authorities. Most Uyghurs in the
diaspora have been unable to contact their family members since April 2017.
Even though there have been a few arranged visits for selected journalists, academics and
diplomats to some pre-picked “vocational re-education centers”, the visits have been tightly
monitored and the movement to specific areas has been heavily restricted. All visits to
those facilities are being orchestrated and pre-arranged by the Chinese government. The
search for an accurate number of those detained and the number of concentration camps
remains elusive. The Chinese government repeatedly denied that the camps existed until
August 2018, when the issue was raised in the UN Committee on the Elimination for Racial
Discrimination during the review of China. When further evidence from satellite imagery
and witness testimony proved the existence of the camps, the Chinese government
changed its narrative, then claiming that the camps were ‘vocational education centres’.
Moreover, camps operate outside Chinese law, which means there are no official public
records available of names, location or current status of the detainees. Numerous requests
by civil society and national governments for information about the names, numbers,
whereabouts and current status of detainees have not been answered by the Chinese
government.
As a result of these limitations, the total number of detainees in the internment camps is as
yet not clear. The most credible estimates put the total number of detainees between 1.8 -
3 million, although some Uyghur activists believe that this number is even higher. Using
official procurement documents from the CCP, Adrian Zenz, Ph.D. Senior Fellow in China
Studies, has estimated that 1.8 million people are detained in the camps.[4][5][6]
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The communication through Chinese applications like Wechat(微信), Weibo(微博) or
Douyin(抖音) (the copy of TikTok designed only for China), is heavily controlled and
censored. Generally speaking, if any individual in East Turkistan has contacts or relatives
abroad, they are asked to block them on their social media platforms. These and other
policies make the flow of information more difficult than before.
In the end, communication with people inside East Turkestan became almost impossible
for many people abroad. Therefore, it is extremely difficult to get updated status of people
reported as detained.
Lack of any credible Chinese official reports or underestimated numbers makes the data
procurement process more complex with regard to comparison and verification work.
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Participants Data gathered and used in this report is mainly provided by the family members abroad
who either lost connection or got information that individuals had disappeared into one of
many concentration camps in East-Turkistan.
Beside the testimonies, different sources such as official Chinese documents and official
statements of various Chinese authorities are used to gather data including social and
news outlets.
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Methodology Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups who fled abroad are spread out all across the
globe, which makes it complicated to rely on a common methodology. Therefore, the most
frequent way of gathering data was using online platforms. Besides the online multilingual
platforms, individuals are able to contact directly through well-known communication
applications, telecommunication or email. This enables our team to provide different
possibilities to reach out to the victims. Moreover, at this stage of our work there have
been some dedicated visits to some of the European countries to accommodate those who
were not able to provide testimonies via our online solutions; in other words, face-to-face
interviews were carried out.
The UTJD takes strict measures to verify the identity of individuals who have submitted
information about disappeared or detained relatives in East Turkistan, to ensure that it is
coming from a reliable source and that the information is credible. Despite the significant
difficulties and limitations resulting from the Chinese government's efforts to stop
information from getting out of the region.
The UTJD also takes the utmost precautions to protect the identities of those individuals
who have submitted information, in order to protect them and their families from potential
reprisals from the Chinese government.
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Data Although the Uyghur community has been reporting their missing/disappeared family
members already back in late 2017, the official registration of data started at the beginning
of the first quarter of 2018. Previously, testimonies had been provided to the World Uyghur
Congress, an umbrella organization based in Munich, and directly to the Norwegian Uyghur
Committee. Later all correspondence for data collection has been done by the Norwegian
Uyghur Committee.
The reported data consists of general personal info with limited variables. Due to the
novelty of the situation and lack of experience, the team has been focusing on getting an
overall general understanding rather than detailed information at the initial data gathering
process. The number of variables has been increased since 2019, to include more detailed
information about the interned and their background info. The team believes that such
data will be useful for academia and human rights organizations to make further detailed
analysis. The statistical data has already been provided to the researcher Adrian Zenz, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow in China Studies, which represents a good example of how the data with
various variables can be useful for detailed analysis. Detailed clarification of the data
samples provided to Adrian Zenz has been presented in his work in section 9.2.2
Internment Shares 2017-2019 [4]
The table above is an overview of the total 3284 registered entries, where 2367 are male
and 917 are female. Data refers to July 2019
The table above is an overview of the total 5031 registered entries having 4024 male and
1007 female. Data refers to 31 December 2019.
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Variables
The number of variables has been extended to provide better understanding on the
current situation in East Turkistan. The challenging nature of our data procurement effort
has persisted, where the censorship and severe control of Uyghurs in East Turkistan have
not been dialed down, which means that the number of variables filled out may be
incomplete (see Limitation Section).
The form is divided into three sections;
1. Information on missing person/people
2. Information about related internment(s)
3. Information about a person providing testimony.
The following are variables used in recent forms for the testimony. First section (1)
variables consist of full name, sex, ethnicity, age, date of birth, place of birth, available legal
information, photo of a person, profession, education, economic status, marital status. The
section (2) consists of the following variables: related documents on involuntary
internment, latest status, location of the interned, reason for
detention/internment/imprisonment/death, health condition, released date, whether the
person has a passport, language skills, religiosity, communist party membership. Lastly, the
section (3) of the form is completed by providing contact information and consent on the
submitted data. The contact details will be used only for the purpose of further contacts.
We are in the preliminary phase and the analysis on variables and detailed statistics will be
included in the annual report.
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Results
Following section provides information on different categories data are divided into.
Video Testimonies The team has been focusing on having publicly available data collection to provide a
broader picture on the ongoing human rights crisis in East-Turkistan. Moreover, our team
aims to provide all possible solutions for individuals to report cases of disappearance.
Image 2: Screenshot of video testimony
Video testimonies provided to the UTJD are supporting evidence to the testimony stored in
the database. The combination of relevant data is essential, to be able to provide
confirmed and credible data.
We have so far 55 video testimonies. As an example, we have one testimony provided by
Alisher Ilham, whose parents and brother had disappeared into the camps. His mother and
brother were later released from the camps, but his brother’s health condition drastically
deteriorated in the camp and he died not long after his release. His father is still missing.
“My 33 year old brother Zulpikar Ilham ئىلھام) ,(زۇلپىقار who had a bachelor's degree, was
sent to the camp around late 2017 or at the beginning of 2018. He died not long after his
release due to his bad health condition. His inner organs were severely damaged during
the internment period in the camp. ” (see Image 1) [7]
Video testimonies provided by various people tell different stories. While the case above
illustrates the detention of the entire family, in other cases the number of detention may
be much higher. Furthermore, the cases of people released from the camps should not be
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ignored which will give better understanding of the current situation. Among the victims
who provided video testimonies, our team has learned that there had been only two cases
of release, where one victim requested that we remove his/her video testimony.
Number of deaths According to the testimonies given by the survivors of concentration camps, dehumanizing
living conditions, torture, rape, physical and psychological mistreatment and possibly even
involving medical experiments were reported. It is important to be aware of findings done
by the ICIJ on the background of leaked papers. The instructions from authorities do make
provisions for inmates’ basic health and physical welfare, including explicit requirements
that camp officials “never allow abnormal deaths.”[6] Hence, deaths not long after the
detainees’ release might indicate one of the approaches used by the government. Common
characteristics such as weight loss, inner organ damage, post traumatic stress syndrome
can be observed among people who have been released from the camps. According to the
reports from different sources including articles from different news outlets, UTJD was able
to gather 186 deaths in total. The numbers may be much higher now. Adrian Zenz has
estimated deaths around 1200 based on Chinese sources. [9]
Among people who died in concentration camps are religious scholars like Alim Abdulehet
Mehsum. RFA has also confirmed that Aytursun Èli, a deputy director of tourist agency
“Hua An”, died in concentration camps.[10] Related stories can be found in different
regions of East Turkistan.
Three incidents of children’s death were reported by the RFA, most probably due to their
parents’ internment and thereby the result of a lack of care.
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Number of survivors Although the region is under severe control, there have been 9 individuals in total who
were previously interned and later managed to leave or flee from East Turkistan. The list
has been updated on December 31, 2019 and there might be other unknown or not
reported individuals who might have left China recently.
Full name Ethnicity Detained/Arrested Released
Sayragul SAUTBAY Kazkakh November 2017 March 2018
Ömer BEKALI Kazakh Jan 2107 March 2017
Mihrigul TURSUN Uyghur April 2017, Jan 2018 June 2017, Apr 2018
Gulbahar JALILOVA Uyghur May 2017 August 2018
Zumrat Dawut Uyghur March 2018 May 2018
Yalqun ENWER Uyghur Unknown Unknown
Kaster MUSAKHAN Kazakh March 2013 November 2017*
Murager ALIMULY Kazakh August, Sep 2019
Tilek TABARAK Kazakh - -
Qaisha Aqan Kazakh - -
Anonymous Uyghur - -
The list above is currently known to the public and has been covered by many international
media. The list may be longer and will be updated periodically.
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Number of individuals at the risk of deportation Despite the fact that Uyghurs or other Turkic ethnic groups may risk their lives if they
return home, there are some cases that did not get a broader attention and their future is
uncertain. For instance, we have two twin brothers, who were students in Tatarstan, Russia
Federation; and an unknown lady who illegally crossed the border from China to
Kyrgyzstan.
A court in Kazan city in Tatarstan, Russian Federation, has upheld a decision by the Internal
Affairs of Tatarstan to deny asylum to Shavkat brothers, Shakhrizat and Shakhdiyar
Shavkat-of Tatar/Uyghur origin. Both expelled from the university where they studied since
2015. They may be deported back to China and have already expressed that they are at risk
of being sent to one of the concentration camps if they return home. They have lost
contact with their parents since 2018 and believe their parents have been arrested and
sent into the concentration camps according to the information they got from their
relatives. [11]
Another case that did not get much attention in the media is the illegal border crossing by
an unknown woman from China to Kyrgyz Republic. A woman, born in 1996, illegally
crossed the Chinese-Kyrgyz Republic border “Torugart - Avtodorozhniy” on 12 December,
2019. A citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic drove a Renault Premium truck from the territory of
China to the territory of the Torugart - Avtodorozhniy checkpoint in Kyrgyzstan. A Kyrgyz
citizen took a Chinese citizen across the border and into Kyrgyzstan. Having approached
the inspection and inspection complex at the checkpoint, the driver of the car dropped off
a PRC citizen, and she, having run to hid in the inspection pit for vehicles. The border guard
noticed movement at the checkpoint and detained the woman. After drawing up the
relevant documents, the detainee were transferred to the employees of the territorial
division of the SCNS of the Kyrgyz Republic.” [9] Nothing is known about her whereabouts.
The UTJD also intends to track the number of Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers who
have been forcibly returned to China, or who are in danger of being forcibly returned. The
Chinese government pursues Uyghur refugees and asylum seekers who have managed to
escape from China and pressures host states to return them to China, where they are
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arbitrarily detained, disappear or face other serious human rights violations. Over 300
Uyghurs have been forcibly returned to China from over 16 states in the past 20 years, the
majority of whom completely disappeared after their return. [12]
Recent situations involving Uyghur asylum seekers and refugees include:
○ Thailand - 56 people in danger of being deported to Cambodia and then to
China
○ Egypt - Over 20 Uyghur students confirmed to have been forcibly returned to
China (and subsequently disappeared) - many more are still missing.
○ Case of Uyghur asylum seeker mistakenly deported from Germany - he
disappeared for 6 months and was later found to have received a lengthy
prison sentence in China.
Over the next reporting period, the UTJD aims to compile and updated and a
comprehensive list of these cases and will analyse these cases to determine broader trends
on this issue and to identify countries which routinely deport Uyghur refugees and asylum
seekers, in contravention to the principle of non-refoulement and international law.
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Number of known released individuals Even though there have been rumors and even official statements from the Chinese
government on so called “graduation” form the “vocational and training centers”, there
were only two people who have contacted UTJD to report that their relatives have been
released (Chinese authorities use the word “graduate” but not “released” to suggest people
join the camps willingly). We have learned that many have not heard any news from their
relatives back home. The hashtag campaign #StillNoInfo used in social media is a clear
indication that people were not released from the camps. The rise of the video testimonies
provided to the UTJD is another indication that the situation is different compared to what
was stated by the Chinese government officials in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Our team has received direct requests from individuals after the release of their family
members from concentration camps. The total number of individuals released from the
camps are five - 3 men and 2 women.
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Number of camps and prisons Below is the list of prisons, camps and special orphanages for children whose parents are
in the concentration camps. Considering that China censors data and restricts access to the
Uyghur region, the actual number could be higher than what is listed below.
The above is the list of different institutions found by our team so far. There are 30
concentration camps, 82 prisons and 27 special orphanages. The number of camps may be
much higher. According to Shawn Zhang, a law graduate in Canada who has studied the
location of camps in the region, claims that the total number of camps identified is 94. [13]
The UTJD will provide a complete list of names and numbers of detainees in each facility in
our upcoming annual report.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the preliminary findings of the UTJD indicate that a large number of Uyghurs
continue to be arbitrarily detained in internment camps, prisons, forced labour and other
detention facilities across the region. Contrary to claims by the regional authorities that the
detainees have been released, we have only observed a very small number of confirmed
releases. The increasing number of testimonies provided by the individuals from around
the world may indicate that the situation has not improved, contrary to the Communist
party narratives. Documented cases convey the severity and the importance of addressing
the issue at international level and reveal that serious human rights violations are being
perpetrated against the Uyghur people by the CCP authorities. Uyghur Transitional Justice
Database will actively engage with mass internment victims and document their stories,
and assist them in furthering their cases.
We will continue to document these cases to ensure justice and accountability and to hold
the Chinese Communist Party responsible for its gross human rights violations and abuses
in East Turkistan. In our upcoming Annual Report, we will list the broader trends and add to
the number of cases listed in the database to further understanding about the nature and
current status of the camps and of the detainees.
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References
1. https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23452&L
angID=E
2. https://www.nchrd.org/2019/10/crackdown-on-freedom/
3. https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/09/09/eradicating-ideological-viruses/chinas-cam
paign-repression-against-xinjiangs
4. https://www.nchrd.org/2018/08/china-massive-numbers-of-uyghurs-other-ethnic-mi
norities-forced-into-re-education-programs/
5. https://www.jpolrisk.com/wash-brains-cleanse-hearts/
6. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/1837011/assista
nt-secretary-of-defense-for-indo-pacific-security-affairs-schriver-press/
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDFOh6SOUeI
8. https://www.icij.org/investigations/china-cables/exposed-chinas-operating-manuals-
for-mass-internment-and-arrest-by-algorithm/
9. https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/qisqa_xewer/lagerlarning-sani-11132019192030.html
10. https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4172250
11. http://gps.gov.kg/2019/12/13/на-границе-с-китаем-задержан-нарушите/
12. https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/wuc-releases-updated-report-documenting-tw
o-decades-of-uyghur-forced-returns-to-china/
13. https://medium.com/@shawnwzhang/
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