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The Tatars in Chinese Concentration Camps CAP Paper 219, June 2019

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The Tatars in Chinese Concentration Camps CAP Paper 219, June 2019 Between Urumchi and Kazan: The Tatars in Chinese Concentration Camps CAP Paper 219, June 2019 Mehmet Volkan Kaşıkçı is a PhD candidate in Soviet was happening in China, because several pieces about the situation history at Arizona State University. His research focuses in Xinjiang had appeared in the on the social and cultural history of Soviet Kazakhstan Russian media. The majority of in the 1930s and 1940s. For his dissertation research, he the media pieces in Russian were lived in Kazakhstan for more than two years. Recently, he translations or adaptations from Western media outlets.3 However, has been volunteering for Atajurt Kazakh Human Rights one of the liveliest descriptions of Organization, which has proved vital for providing the dystopian surveillance system information about Chinese concentration camps in in Xinjiang, a piece from Septem- ber 2018 entitled “An Internment Xinjiang. Atajurt has captured thousands of video Camp for 10 Million Uyghurs,” testimonies by people whose loved ones are currently was first published in Russian.4 being detained in Chinese concentration camps or There were also a few cases of prisons.1 In October 2018, in response to a question about Muslims in China asked during a meeting in Kazakhstan, Ravil’ Gainutdin, the head of Russia’s Council of Muftis, said that he had traveled to China and met Chinese Mus- lims on many occasions1 and that according to the Union of Chi- nese Muslims, Muslims in China were not oppressed and did not feel discriminated against. A few days after Gainutdin’s denial of massive oppression in Xinjiang, Kamil’ Samigullin, the mufti of Tatarstan, declared on his so- cial media account that he con- demned China’s anti-Islamic pol- icies.2 In reality, it is unlikely that Marat Iskhakov with his wife, Sayyora, Gainutdin was unaware of what and his son, Ilfat CAP Fellows Paper 219 1 Xinjiang activism in Russia. On such Tatars in Kazan during his nese companies with a view to November 11, 2018, Russia’s Uy- trip. Today, meanwhile, having developing a new security model ghurs published a declaration received education in Tatarstan in Kazan.10 about the situation in Xinjiang.5 is one of the most common “rea- The piece briefly explained con- sons” for Tatars in Xinjiang to be From the abovementioned Azat- centration camps and the tech- sent to a concentration camp. liq piece, we understand that nological surveillance regime in many Tatars are in concentra- Xinjiang and informed the public The only detailed report about tion camps, yet the name of only that Russian Uyghurs were not Tatars’ detention in Xinjiang one such individual is provided: able to communicate with their was published by Radio Free Eu- Torsyntai Galiev. Galiev is an en- relatives in China and were de- rope’s Tatar Service on August trepreneur and one of the people nied visas. At the end of the text, 13, 2018.9 It was emphasized that who organized Chinese Tatars’ the authors addressed the Presi- having Russian citizenship was education in Kazan. He has a few dent of the Russian Federation difficult for Chinese Tatars and shops in the center of Urumchi and Russia’s Ministry of Foreign that many Tatars were there- and has been involved in trade Affairs, appealing to them to ad- fore returning to China from with Russia and Turkey, among dress these problems. On Decem- Tatarstan. These Tatar families others. He also participated in ber 26, a group of Tatar activists were not heard from again and meetings of the World Tatar Con- organized a small rally to protest Tatars in Australia reported that gress. Galiev was sentenced to 25 China’s policies toward Uyghurs, they were unable to communi- years in prison and is presumably Tatars, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz.6 cate with their relatives in Xinji- imprisoned in Urumchi. The tes- However, their request to hold ang. One Australian Tatar heard tifier claims that Galiev is impris- the protest in front of the Chinese that two of his relatives were in a oned due to his travels to Turkey. consulate was denied and they concentration camp, but unfor- Nevertheless, it is probable that were directed to another place. tunately the names of these two being a leading figure in Tatar so- detainees were not provided. The ciety and helping Tatar students Indeed, what Gainutdin said was Australian Tatar added that one go to Kazan, as well as his trade true until a few years ago for all of these relatives had studied in with Turkey and other countries, Muslim groups in China except Japan and wondered if that was were all factors in his ultimate Uyghurs. Up until Chen Chuan- the reason for their detention. imprisonment. go’s appointment as the Com- Everyone who had studied in Ka- munist Party Secretary of XUAR, zan deleted their social media ac- However, Galiev is not the only pressure in Xinjiang was almost counts. Tatar detained in Xinjiang. completely on Uyghurs. Kazakhs, The Xinjiang Victims Database Kyrgyz, and Tatars were more The report also briefly explained lists five Tatar victims besides or less free to practice their reli- the new security system and sur- Galiev.11 According to the 2000 gion, as were Chinese-speaking veillance regime in the region, Chinese census, the Tatar popu- Muslims. When he was in Rus- based on the testimony of a Tatar lation in Xinjiang is 4,895. The sia in 2007, Hu Jintao also vis- who had visited Xinjiang the pre- fact that there are so many cases ited Tatarstan and met Mintim- vious year. In fact, Russia is not of detention among such a small er Shaimiev, then the President unaware of new developments minority demonstrates that Ta- of Tatarstan.7 Current president in surveillance technologies in tars are being targeted on a scale Rustam Minnikhanov visited Xinjiang. The Russian state and similar to Uyghurs and Kazakhs. Urumchi during his trip to Chi- some Russian companies are im- Sabidulla Saipil, Abdigaim Ku- na in 2014 and met Tatar groups pressed by the new developments mar, Hamit Shyngys, and Marat there.8 However, all this has in the Xinjiang “laboratory.” Fa- Iskhakov were detained in con- changed dramatically in the last cial recognition technology is al- centration camps, while Shafkat two or three years. In the 2000s, ready being used in Russia, and Abas’ family told Amnesty Inter- many Chinese citizens who were the Vice President of Tatarstan national that Abas is in a prison.12 ethnic Tatars went to Tatarstan announced that the regional gov- Abas studied traditional Uyghur for education; Hu Jintao met ernment was in contact with Chi- medicine for five years at Xinji- CAP Fellows Paper 219 2 ang Uyghur Medical College in at a religious school in Turpan in leased from the camp on Decem- Hotan and had his own clinic. He 1985.13 Another individual was ber 28, 2018. Abdigaim was not was arrested on March 13, 2017, detained for exactly the same rea- the only person for whom Munira because he had accessed to for- son: Sabidulla’s cousin Erkin Vali testified. His 50-year-old cousin eign websites, possessed banned (b. 1967) is in a camp because he Hamit Shyngys was likewise sent religious books, and contacted an studied at the same school. (Er- to a concentration camp. Ham- elderly patient who was an imam. kin’s official nationality is not it was an ordinary farmer who In May, his brother traveled to known; he is presumably half Ta- had three children.15 Performing Urumchi from Australia to learn tar.) namaz was enough to get him about Abas’ arrest. He was told sent to a concentration camp. that he could not see his brother Two of these five Tatars have He was finally released from the but that the police would inform been released from concentra- camp on January 24 of this year. him about the situation later. tion camps after petitions to Ata- They never did. jurt. Most likely, both of them The only one of the five who was are now under house arrest. Ab- not detained for reasons related Four out of five Tatars in the da- digaim Kumar (b. 1982) studied to religion is Marat Iskhakov (b. tabase were detained for reasons at a madrasa in Tekes from 2000 1982). We learn about Marat’s related to religion. Sabidulla to 2002 and became an imam.14 detention from the List of Uy- Saipil (b. 1966) was detained in Subsequently, he worked as an ghur Intellectuals Imprisoned in Changji on April 16, 2018, and official Chinese state imam in İli. China from 2016 to the Present, sent to a concentration camp. His In 2007, he studied for a while prepared by Abduweli Ayup.16 Ac- brother, who is a Kazakh citizen, in Tatarstan. After Abdigaim’s cording to the List, Marat used testified for Sabidulla at Ata- detention, his sister Munira Ku- to work as a Chinese-language jurt. According to his testimony, mar, who is a Kazakh citizen, teacher at High School No. 14 in Sabidulla was detained because petitioned for him at Atajurt on Urumchi. From one of Marat’s he had studied for three months several occasions. He was re- social media accounts, I have also Munira Kumar petitions for her brother, Abdigaim Kumar, at Atajurt. Pictured next to her is Serikjan Bilash, the head of Atajurt, who is still under house arrest in Astana. CAP Fellows Paper 219 3 learned that he studied commu- and contacts with foreigners. highly educated, so it is obvious nications engineering at Xinjiang Marat is a person who follows de- that he does not need any “vo- University.
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