China Containing Muslims In Camps

China has recently been accused of locking up hundreds of muslims in its Western region of Xinjiang. Satellite pictures from July 12 2015 show Dabancheng, in China’s west, to be a patch of empty, untouched desert. However more recent images from 22 April 2018 of Dabancheng, show a new massive compound enclosed within a 2km exterior wall and 16 guard towers. The compound is rumoured to be just one of many camps, forming around the country. Reports began to emerge last year, many accusing China of locking up muslims without fair trial. However, the Chinese government have denied all claims, saying that people are willingly attending the ‘vocational schools’ which combat terrorism and religious extremism. Government officials are saying the camps are ‘necessary’ to prevent the spread of religious extremism in the western regions of Xinjiang. In the past, these regions have seen violent outbreaks between the Uyghur and Han Chinese populations. However, many people are confused as to why muslims need to be kept in these facilities. Whilst the government claims they are being educated on Mandarin, Chinese history, and the Chinese constitution, many believe they are being subjected to poor conditions and made to stop many of their cultural and religious practices. Rare video footage released of the compound suggests womens headscarfs and mens beards have been banned as not one person can be seen with either. While details are limited, the scenario scarily bares similarity to the Holocaust (WW2) in which jewish people were locked up in concentration camps by the German Nazi Party. For now, we can only hope that the people in the camps are safe and able to exit the facility if they will to do so.

Picture found at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/oct/22/from-denial-to-pride-how-china-changed-its-language-on-xinjiangs-camps

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