Hacked police data sheds light on China's 're-education' camps for Uyghurs: Report

Thousands of photographs and spreadsheets from incarceration in Xinjiang have been revealed in the hacked data from Chinese police servers. The hacked data sheds light on China's "re-education camps and formal prisons" which are related systems of detention for Uyghurs, BBC News reported. The report comes amid United Nations Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet's visit to Xinjiang. 

The hacked data known as "Xinjiang Police Files" were shared with BBC earlier this year and the data shows the internment of the region's Uyghurs and other Turkic minorities. As per the news report, the hacked data contradicts the claim made by the Chinese government regarding the "re-education camps" in Xinjiang, which they call "schools".

The documents in the hacked data show the policy of the Chinese administration targeting almost any expression of Uyghur identity, or culture. The hacked files have over 5000 photographs of Uyghurs taken between January - July 2018 and at least 2884 of whom were detained. Furthermore, the hacked data includes a set of 452 spreadsheets that has names, addresses and ID numbers of over a quarter of a million Uyghurs and details regarding their detention.

People targeted for excess cell phone use and listening to 'illegal lectures'

Hundreds of people have been targeted for listening to "illegal lectures" using cell phones and others have been punished with up to 10 years in prison for not using their phone enough, and were listed for attempting to avoid the digital surveillance, as per the BBC.

The images indicate that Uyghurs living in their homes were summoned in large numbers to be photographed with images showing the whole community called into the police station at any time. As per the news report, Hawagul Tewekkul, a 50-year-old woman had been detained for re-education and there was no mention of the reason, as per the BBC News report. Similarly, Ilam Ismayil, a 30-year-old man had been detained for re-education in February 2018 without specifying the reason. Tajigul Tahir, a 60-year-old woman accused of illegal preaching has been detained for re-education in 2017. Some of the images of the re-education camp accessed through the data show guards armed with batons. 

Human rights activists accuse China of committing genocide in Xinjiang

It is pertinent to mention here that human rights activists have accused Chinese government of committing abuses in Xinjiang including the detention of people in camps, and forcible separation of families, according to ANI.

However, China has refuted the allegations and stressed that these facilities are just "vocational skill training centres" which they claim are important for "countering extremism" and improving livelihood. Chinese officials have said that most "trainees" had "graduated" from the centres in 2019. The United States has accused China of committing genocide in Xinjiang. 

Inputs from ANI

Image: AP