Week Ending 10 Apr, 2021

1. The Chinese government has implemented a system of whistleblowing in East Turkestan

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on April 3, 2021, stated that after the Chinese Minister of Public Security Zhao Keji had returned from a visit to East Turkestan, the government has resumed in Kashgar, Hotan and Aksu prefectures a policy of house inspection and whistleblowing. To implement this policy, a group of 5 – 6 ordinary people together with a village police enter any house at anytime to carry out a detailed search. They have taken away from some households items such as axes and knives. In addition, led by community cadres, a whistleblowing operation on ordinary people was launched, creating a panicky situation in which no one could trust any one else.

2. The traditional houses of the Uyghurs were largely destroyed

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on April 3, 2021, stated that Uyghur traditional houses with distinct cultural features in the most densely populated areas of the Uyghurs were largely destroyed, with some Uyghurs being compensated 40 square meter of housing for their original 100 square meter houses. Those who are dissatisfied with this policy are threatened with incarceration.

3. Chinese blogger reported to police an Uyghur girl who shared her family story with the blogger

A message to the Uyghur Information Center on April 3, 2021, stated that a Chinese blogger, known as Haruko who has hundreds of thousands of followers on Weibo and has gained prominence among those who protested against foreign companies that had boycotted Xinjiang cotton due to the Uyghur forced labor, has claimed that the foreign press reporting of the ongoing crime against humanity in East Turkestan was the fabrication of US government. One of the blogger’s followers was an Uyghur girl who trusted the Chinese blogger and told the blogger her family story that her father and brothers had been detained. The Chinese blogger cried when he heard this story and asked her what was going on in East Turkestan. Then, the Chinese blogger has been accused of being an Uyghur sympathizer and a traitor by his followers after he shared his views on the possibility that some foreign reports may have some basis. The Chinese blogger, who could not escape the vicious online attacks despite apologizing to his followers, finally exposed the Uyghur girl he was talking to and reported her to the police.