China cracks down on Uyghurs: Hostages in exchange for travel

Eight years ago, Abdul Qadir (a pseudonym) was unable to see his mother, who lives in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), which has become like an open prison for its predominantly Muslim Uyghur residents.

In one encrypted voice message, his mother finally told him she had received permission to travel abroad, but under strict conditions.

They could only meet in a third country where the mother received permission to visit for business purposes.

“She only has 15 days; she's not allowed to contact any activists or discuss anything political, and if she doesn't return on time, the rest of our family inside will face severe consequences,” said Abdul Qadir, according to an interview conducted by Human Rights Watch.

In a lengthy report released Monday, the organization said that "the Chinese government has been carrying out severe repression of East Turkistan (Xinjiang) residents for years that amounts to crimes against humanity."

Since 2016, Chinese authorities in East Turkistan (Xinjiang) have criminalized foreign relations and intensified restrictions on Uyghur travel.

Uyghurs who visited any of the "twenty-six sensitive countries," which mainly include Muslim-majority countries like Kazakhstan, Egypt, Turkey, Malaysia, and Indonesia, or communicated with people there even if they were relatives, were interrogated.

In many cases, they are tried and imprisoned, according to Human Rights Watch.

Uyghurs live in East Turkistan (Xinjiang), making up about 45% of its 26 million population alongside Kazakhs and Han Chinese.

With a slight easing of restrictions, there are now limited opportunities for some to travel, but within a strict framework of surveillance and control.

Human Rights Watch said it interviewed 23 Uyghurs outside China and reviewed relevant official documents.

Some who recently left East Turkistan (Xinjiang said that "Uyghurs in China who apply to visit a foreign country need to provide authorities with a purpose for travel."

Applicants for family purposes are also required to provide an invitation from a family member abroad, along with their personal information, address, employment status, and other documents.

Yaqub (a pseudonym) said that “the police held his family members as hostages to allow his father to travel.”

Yaqub's father wanted to travel to see him after eight years but needed a guarantor from inside China and pledged not to stay longer than a month.

He tried to extend the visit but was not granted permission and had to return to prevent his wife from facing retaliation.

Upon his return, he was summoned by local police for investigation about his trip details, where they asked him about who he met and where he went.

He also said, "We didn't even go to Uyghur restaurants to avoid attention and surveillance."

In addition to restrictions inside China, Uyghurs abroad are under constant surveillance.

Some are forced to participate in official tours to East Turkistan (Xinjiang) organized by Chinese authorities, where they are asked to promote the government's narrative about "development and prosperity" in the region.