Muslim internment camps have sparked shock and anger throughout the International Community. Ethnic Uighurs and other Turkic muslim minorities primarily make up the one million people forced to live in these camps (Chinese officials claim the actual number is significantly smaller). The UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the U.S.’s horror over the issue has caused China to defend these camps as ‘free vocational training’ and ‘eradicating extremism.’ Almost more outrageous, Chinese authorities pretended these camps didn’t exist until satellite images proved otherwise. Having a long beard, wearing a face veil or sharing Islamic holiday greetings over social media are among the offenses of the detainees. A Chinese official stated in an interview that “through vocational training, most trainees have been able to reflect on their mistakes and see clearly the essence and harm of terrorism and religious extremism.” The ‘vocational training’ is meant to help muslims improve their Mandarin and job skills to help them find work. Op-eds by Chinese authorities use these arguments to defend the camps, but former detainees have denied this, describing harsh treatment in the camps.
I was horrified that an entire ethnic group has been sent to these camps. One million people forced into camps for their religions reminds me of the holocaust (however, much less extreme). Even if the intentions of the camp were positive, like the Chinese officials claim, it would still be racist and degrading. However, the fact that the camps were covered up and the numbers of people in the camps were kept secret from the western world just proves that the camps are not what the officials claim them to be. I’m skeptical that the camps ‘combat religious extremism’ by imposing the Mandarin language and Chinese ideas. Nothing about forcing a huge group of people into altering their religious beliefs is positive or productive. I also can’t believe that so much as a social media post celebrating a holiday or a long beard can send someone to an internment camp! I don’t think that oppression can be classified as ‘free job training.’