UTJD - Uyghur Transitional Justice Database...Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) is an...

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

2 - Documenting Human Rights Violations in East Turkistan | https://www.utjd.org

https://www.utjd.org/

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


mailto:[email protected]


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



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



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.



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.



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]



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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/


https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23452&LangID=E

https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23452&LangID=E

https://www.nchrd.org/2019/10/crackdown-on-freedom/

https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/09/09/eradicating-ideological-viruses/chinas-campaign-repression-against-xinjiangs

https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/09/09/eradicating-ideological-viruses/chinas-campaign-repression-against-xinjiangs

https://www.nchrd.org/2018/08/china-massive-numbers-of-uyghurs-other-ethnic-minorities-forced-into-re-education-programs/

https://www.nchrd.org/2018/08/china-massive-numbers-of-uyghurs-other-ethnic-minorities-forced-into-re-education-programs/

https://www.jpolrisk.com/wash-brains-cleanse-hearts/

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/1837011/assistant-secretary-of-defense-for-indo-pacific-security-affairs-schriver-press/

https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/1837011/assistant-secretary-of-defense-for-indo-pacific-security-affairs-schriver-press/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDFOh6SOUeI

https://www.icij.org/investigations/china-cables/exposed-chinas-operating-manuals-for-mass-internment-and-arrest-by-algorithm/

https://www.icij.org/investigations/china-cables/exposed-chinas-operating-manuals-for-mass-internment-and-arrest-by-algorithm/

https://www.rfa.org/uyghur/qisqa_xewer/lagerlarning-sani-11132019192030.html

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/4172250

http://gps.gov.kg/2019/12/13/%D0%BD%D0%B0-%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D0%B5-%D1%81-%D0%BA%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B5%D0%BC-%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B6%D0%B0%D0%BD-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%83%D1%88%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5/

https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/wuc-releases-updated-report-documenting-two-decades-of-uyghur-forced-returns-to-china/

https://www.uyghurcongress.org/en/wuc-releases-updated-report-documenting-two-decades-of-uyghur-forced-returns-to-china/

https://medium.com/@shawnwzhang/


Sponsors

UTJD - Uyghur Transitional Justice Database



UTJD - Uyghur Transitional Justice Database...Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) is an...

Documents

Transcript of UTJD - Uyghur Transitional Justice Database...Uyghur Transitional Justice Database (UTJD) is an...