The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has urged the international community to respond decisively amid new revelations from a former Chinese police officer regarding the repression in Xinjiang. This call to action follows an investigation published by Der Spiegel, which details the experiences of Zhang Yabo, who reportedly worked within China’s security framework in the Hotan region for nearly a decade. The WUC’s appeal comes as concerns over human rights abuses in the region continue to mount.

Zhang allegedly served in a variety of roles between 2014 and 2023, including positions within detention facilities and local law enforcement. His testimony points out that he was involved in the forced transfer of Uyghur men and women to state-sanctioned labour assignments, including cotton harvesting. Such practices have repeatedly been denied by the Chinese government, intensifying global scrutiny of the situation in Xinjiang.

After fleeing China to Europe last year, Zhang reached out to the WUC in Munich and detailed his experiences. His statements suggest a persistent system of repression, leading WUC President Turgunjan Alawdun to proclaim that the world can no longer afford to deny or delay action against China. He stated that ongoing abuses in the region have remained consistent, asserting the need for international intervention.

Re-engineering of Repressive Tactics Alleged

The WUC outlined that Zhang’s testimony indicates a shift in the nature of repression in Xinjiang, which has now become more covert. Instead of the visible mass detentions that marked previous years, authorities are allegedly employing less conspicuous methods under the leadership of Ma Xingrui, who became Communist Party Secretary of Xinjiang in December 2021. This transition marks a departure from policies instituted by his predecessor, Chen Quanguo.

Rather than dismantling existing systems of oppression, the WUC claims that authorities have restructured them, reducing overt policing while still maintaining detention quotas. This transformation reportedly includes a broader reliance on formal prisons, further embedding the region’s repressive infrastructure. Zhang alleged that many individuals released from re-education camps are transferred directly into the prison system, creating a so-called “carceral pipeline,” whereby more than half of the detainees in his jurisdiction reportedly received lengthy prison sentences.

The WUC cited official statistics indicating that over 500,000 people were imprisoned in the region during the period from 2017 to 2021, exemplifying the vast scale of these practices. Such figures raise serious concerns about the ongoing human rights situation affecting Uyghurs and other minorities in China.

Personal Risks and Broader Implications of Speaking Out

Zhang’s testimony reveals a harsh reality for those within the Chinese security apparatus, detailing a coercive environment where officers must meet quotas for detentions and labour transfers. According to Zhang, adherence to these quotas is incentivised, while non-compliance is met with penalties. Such an atmosphere compelled Zhang to resist participating in acts he deemed excessively brutal, which led to professional repercussions for him.

The WUC underscored the personal risks associated with Zhang’s decision to come forward, noting that he has family members still residing in China who may face surveillance or retaliation due to his disclosures. This phenomenon of using family members to suppress dissent highlights the lengths to which authorities allegedly go to enforce conformity within the system.

In conclusion, the WUC emphasised that Zhang’s revelations add to an expansive body of evidence documenting continued human rights violations against Uyghurs. They have commended his bravery in voicing his experiences and have encouraged others with similar knowledge to do so as well, reinforcing the need for concerted global action against these ongoing atrocities.

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