I'd like to hear different perspectives. From what I've been hearing, it's not as bad as the media claims, but it's still a human rights violation. Thoughts?
I'd like to hear different perspectives. From what I've been hearing, it's not as bad as the media claims, but it's still a human rights violation. Thoughts?
Fair, but they've been much more open than the American sources. They aren't restricting travel to the region, they've let film crews in, they've allowed the UN to audit the education centers, etc.
Meanwhile the other side keeps speculating about satellite images of camps that that have multistory structures with power and running water and a minimum armed presence.
There is detainment going on, but no genocide or ethnic cleansing like western media posits. It's in response to repeated large scale terrorist attacks in the region (carried out by ISIS and other separatist factions) killing thousands over a 20 year period. China's decision was to censor footage of the attacks and do what it could to deescalate tensions in the region.
One method was the creation of vocational school that people go to for 3 months to 1 year to learn Mandarin and a trade. This greatly reduced poverty in the region and allowed for Uyghurs to take jobs in other areas. Making them feel more accepted as a group. There was also a direct movement to bring Uyghur traditions into the spotlight all over China and destigmatize the group.
Since 2018 I think, there have been no terrorist attacks in the region and some of the surveillance and checkpoint equipment has even been decommissioned. Most of the security forces and social workers in the Uyghur communities are Uyghur, not Han and they have a lot of local autonomy.
You can argue all day about the ethicality of vocational training aimed at changing a mindset. Say it's Orwellian or whatever, but you can't deny that it's worked incredibly well and resulted in a massive reduction in extremism as well as rising living standards in the region.