Uyghurs: investigation reports 380 detention camps in Xinjiang
A woman wearing a mask with the inscription "Free the Uyghurs" during a protest in Berlin, Germany on September 1, 2020. Michele Tantussi / Reuters
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China has, according to an Australian research institute, 380 detention centers in Xinjiang, in the north-west of the country, much more than the estimates made so far.
A large part of the Muslim and Turkish-speaking Uyghur population is said to be locked up in these camps.
For its part, Beijing continues to speak of "training centers".
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According to an investigation published Thursday, September 24 by the Institute of Strategic Policy, Xinjiang has 380 alleged detention centers, where
members of the Uyghur Muslim ethnic group
are being
held
.
This is almost 40% more than previous estimates, notes the Australian research firm, which is based on satellite images, testimonials, and tenders in the construction industry.
The Institute of Strategic Policy specifies that about sixty of these sites were the subject of expansion works between 2019 and 2020, which would go against the statements of Beijing, for whom these people - who would not have moreover followed that of "formations" in these buildings - would have returned home after obtaining their diplomas.
►To listen: Disappearances in Xinjiang in China: a Uyghur woman in search of her brother Mewlan
Washington has already cracked down, Beijing is sticking to its positions
The Institute for Strategic Policy, established by the Australian government, was funded in part by the US State Department to conduct this study.
The United States is stepping up its position on the human rights situation in China.
On Tuesday, September 22, the House of Representatives passed a
law banning most imports from Xinjiang
, due to "forced labor" imposed, according to Washington, on the Uyghurs.
On Wednesday, a Jamestown Foundation study claimed that a coercive training program had been put in place in Tibet.
According to the center, the Chinese government imported there practices already tested in Xinjiang.
Beijing, for its part, praises its “employment policy” in the region, saying that it has enabled it to reduce unemployment and instability.
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To read also:
China: "The government imports into Tibet practices already tested in Xinjiang"
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