China currently imprisons more than 449,000 Uyghurs in Xinjiang, accounting for about one in 17 people, according to a report by the Uyghur Human Rights Project [e2d0a93c]. The report also estimates that in 2022, one in 26 Uyghurs and non-Han people in Xinjiang were incarcerated. The Uyghur population in the region makes up 34% of China's estimated prison population. The report highlights the harsh conditions in penal institutions and documents cases of Uyghurs being imprisoned for reading the Quran. It also reveals that the prison system benefits the Chinese economy, as prisoners are made to work in factories near prisons. Chinese Muslim community leader Ma Ju stated that the US has exhausted its efforts in addressing Uyghur human rights [e2d0a93c].
The US State Department's 2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices documented genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other ethnic and religious minority groups in Xinjiang. Secretary of State Antony Blinken raised concerns about human rights abuses in Xinjiang during his trip to China, but Beijing criticized him for interfering in domestic affairs [e2d0a93c].
The report concludes that China's oppression of the Uyghur minority group continues [e2d0a93c].
A new analysis by the Uyghur Human Rights Project (UHRP) reveals that approximately 1 in 26 Uyghurs and other non-Han ethnicities in the Uyghur Region are imprisoned, accounting for a third of China's total prison population. This region, with only 1% of China's total population, has the highest incarceration rate globally at 2,234 per 100,000 people. The report highlights significant disparities in incarceration rates within China, with non-Han groups in the Uyghur Region imprisoned at rates over 47 times higher than Han Chinese. This ongoing situation underscores the impact of China's 'strike hard' policies in the region, which have led to an escalation in long prison sentences for Uyghurs, often based on minimal or non-violent charges. UHRP's analysis draws from official statistics and additional research, indicating a deep and systemic issue of disproportionate sentencing and ethnic targeting within China's justice system [a52388e3].
Mahmudjian Muqeddem, a Uyghur butcher and farmer from the Tawaqchi community of Xaneriq village in Xinjiang, China, has been released from prison after serving seven years for discouraging others from consuming alcohol and smoking. He was the first of 100 prisoners from the village to be released. Muqeddem's arrest was due to advising his friends not to smoke or drink at a gathering. The Chinese communist government considers abstinence from alcohol as a sign of potential religious extremism. The release of Muqeddem raises concerns about the plight of other Uyghurs still trapped by the government's oppression. The Chinese Communist Party has been revamping regulations in Xinjiang to 'Sinicize' religions and enforce control over religious activities. Many elderly Uyghur women have been sentenced and imprisoned for decades for religious 'crimes' such as reading the Quran. Uyghurs have also been banned from using social media apps like TikTok. Despite widespread coverage of the CCP's atrocities, some individuals are not convinced of the claims and believe that the stories are not true [e2d0a93c].