The following is a short list of takeaway points based on a meeting between a journalist and an Uyghur eyewitness – a former camp employee – that took place in inner China at some point in 2018-2019. The eyewitness was scared and desperate at the time, and there is some fear that he may have committed suicide soon after. However, other sources have suggested that he may be serving a long prison term, and for this reason both his identity and relevant circumstances have been anonymized to avoid further harm. As we know and trust the people involved, and believe the information to be genuine and insightful, we are publishing it here as additional evidence on the mass incarcerations in Xinjiang.
1. The scale of detention
The eyewitness worked at three different camps, of which the first had around 4000 detainees and the second and third had around 10000. There were over 10 camps in his county in southern Xinjiang. Newer camp compounds typically followed a similar blueprint, while older ones were just repurposed facilities (former factories, for example).
2. Study
Detainees would have 4 hours of mandatory Mandarin classes a day, with weekly tests on Saturdays. Some were fluent in Mandarin already and aced the tests, but still weren’t allowed to leave. Self-study (reading) was done sitting on short and cheap stools, which became extremely painful after an hour. On Sundays, they washed clothes and cleaned the bathroom.
3. Punishment
Deviating from the strict sitting rules, or trying to kneel to avoid sitting on the stool, could lead to food deprivation. Some older detainees were “double illiterate” (in both Uyghur and Chinese), and would regularly get 0s on the Saturday tests, which also led to them being deprived of food for three days.
4. Camp deaths
Deaths in camp were regular, though primarily due to illness and more likely to affect especially vulnerable groups, such as the elderly. While camps had hospitals, this did not appear to help reduce mortality significantly.
5. Family visits
Two-hour conjugal visits were allowed for spouses. Regular family visits lasted an hour and were surveilled.
6. Detainee profiles
Some detainees were as young as 13 or 14, while some were retirees in their 60s (those over 70 were generally released, unless they were taken in criminal cases). Some were former government cadres, or successful businessmen who made up to 10000RMB per month in their regular jobs. A portion of camp detainees were Han, but these were generally petty criminals (taken for such crimes as robbery or gambling).
7. Reasons for detention
Many didn’t know their exact crimes and faced vague charges, such as being “two-faced“. Some were taken for using VPNs, which frequently led to prison terms of 10 years. More “sensitive” people were usually sentenced to 10 or more years following a “screening” process, and transferred to prison. Some people were detained for travelling to Sanya or Hong Kong.
8. Camp-to-factory transfers
Some factories were opened as early as April or May 2018. However, by late 2018, only a small fraction of detainees had been transferred to them, and were usually those who were less “politically sensitive” (of the 4000 at the first camp, about 400 were in factories, though this proportion went up to around 3000 of the 10000 at the third camp). Usually, such placements were forced, as no one felt safe refusing. However, transfers to factory from camp were often desired, as they came with more freedoms, including the ability to see relatives. True release from detention was only possible for university students and those who were very ill (or had infectious diseases).
9. Labor conditions
The factory labor the eyewitness saw was largely oriented towards making gloves and clothing. Workers typically did 8-hour days from Monday to Saturday, starting at around 9:30 in the morning and returning by 6 in the evening. The conditions were not terrible and like those at a regular factory, just without the freedom to leave.
10. Factory salaries
Workers had salary cards and were promised 700-800RMB per month, sent directly to their families. However, this kept being delayed and, as far as the eyewitness knew, had yet to be received.