What is Really Happening in Xinjiang?
Seeing the Crisis of the Uyghur People in China.
![Sam [Sans Surname]](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fill:88:88/1*I34ZzPEGBWDvIv5c5qwcqA.jpeg){kind=small}
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Acknowledgement
The information within this article is not intended to be regarded as anything other than containing accounts of my personal experiences, feelings, and observations. There will be no professionally vetted or politically affiliated claims in this article, nor is any information contained within it guided by malice or ill intent to harm, defame, condemn, or place blame on any person or entity — nor is it intended to disclose any private information or identities. During my time spent in China, I was there for familial, personal, and tourist reasons only — and this is the story told as it was written through my eyes.
Through My Eyes
Over the course of almost a decade, I have visited the region of Xinjiang, China on several occasions. During that time, I was personally involved with local residents of Han decent due to familial affiliation by affinity. I have been able to understand Mandarin Chinese to a somewhat fluent level, with an exceptional listening proficiency. My language skills were deeply rooted in my adaptive ability to understand human interactions indicative of intricate cultural details. Those very intricacies often went unnoticed, and they usually remained overlooked by mere tourists or foreign nationals, who weren’t surprisingly few and far between.
Because of my unique affiliation as an insider in many regards, although still very much a proud American citizen, I definitely had an opportunity for enriching, authentic experiences. During my time in the Xinjiang Province, I traveled to special destinations including Yi-li, Nan-shan, Chai-wo-pu, Tian-shan Mountain, and Kan-na-si Lake. I ate an extraordinary variety of local speciality dishes like da-pan-ji, ban-mian, yang-ro-chuar and jia-zi-ro. At times, I saw things also that I did not like or enjoy, and was subjected to things to which I didn’t agree with nor authentically consent, including matters deemed nominally for the sake of national security.
The Vibrant Urumqi
I have witnessed the transformations in Urumqi since 2011 until my last visit in 2018. These changes I’ve not only observed, but actually have experienced them first-hand. I’d like to share a few tid-bits of these recollections, so that you can draw from it what you will.
When I first found myself in Urumqi, the first thing I noticed was the cultural diversity. There were so many local specialties, including special foods and goods unique to the region, many of which were made by the Uyghur people. It was beautiful and rich with multitudinous objects of indulgence, laid out upon a vast desert landscape, which was indescribably cold in winter and begrudgingly dry with heat in summer. It was certainly unlike anything my eyes had been previously pleasured to see before.
There used to also be quite a few of other minorities with a noticeably large presence within in the region. Some of these included Russians, who at some point just disappeared as if they’d never even been there to begin with. By 2018, they were basically non-existent in the region, whereas before they even had their own little corner of town, with intrinsically mysterious writing written upon the encrypted walls that had served well for business and trade.
Then of course, there were the Kazakh people and the Hui people, who are both regarded distinctively well throughout the region, being known for their peaceful demeanor and “cooperative” attitudes. Best I could tell, they had built their business models centered around catering to Han people, including things such as food stands. I met some of the nicest women, and there was one in particular that would frequent my street corner to sell jiao-ma-ji, a regional delicacy that consisted of fresh, wild chicken tossed in a coating of numbing, green Sichuan pepper sauce.
The Kazakh people, they had made a business empire from renting out men-gu-bao huts for overnight traveller lodging, selling horseback rides at Tianshan mountain valley, and occasionally making an extra penny from fermented camel or horse milk. Despite their resourcefulness, they were still able to maintain a relatively peaceful, nomadic lifestyle on the outskirts of the bustling city limits.
At times, I really despised how the American media seemed to paint this place, using the same colors as often are picked for China as a nation; painted a dull, ashen gray smothering a dark, shadowy graveyard that has but one mission — to deplete its inhabitants of all joy. But, that wasn’t really accurate in my mind back then, nor is it now in all honesty. The fact is, the untouched Xinjiang is a marvelous wonder, it is an absolutely beautiful place.
But as we all know, beauty often cannot last.
**This is an update to this article intended to include more descriptions, footage, and capture of what life is like in Xinjiang and to showcase my personal experiences there, as I feel they may offer some knowledge or insight for those who are working to crack the case on the human rights violations that are said to be happening to the Uyghur people.**
This video was taken at a hotel restaurant where a traditional Uyghur wedding was being held. I was skeptical as to why we had been brought there, as my psychopathic wealthy Han Chinese family had felt it befitting we barge right in, sit down to eat, and be served by the Uyghurs at their own ceremony. At the time, I was not fluent in Chinese language, and did not understand the political nature of what was happening in Xinjiang China and the persecution of these people.
As you can hear from the video, my relative cautioned me and told me not to record video…but I didn’t listen and proceeded to capture it anyway. Looking back, I’m glad I did. I felt something was wrong with what was going on around me, but I didn’t understand what or why this was happening until years later, when I had already become fluent in Chinese language, and it was revealed that these people were being held in concentration camps and persecuted by the Chinese government.
A Looming Presence of Divisiveness Emerges
With each successive trip, I began noticing the subtle changes. It wasn’t anything big; it was often hardly worth mentioning in the grand scheme of things. The landscapes were slowly being repainted, as more and more restaurants started shutting their doors to the once boldly displayed logos sporting “qing-zhen,” which was a word upholding clean foods that contained no pork and abstained from drinking alcohol inside. One by one, they all fell down. Like the signs and stickers that slowly started disappearing from the windows, so the people also began to fade.
“But then, it grew quiet; the once bustling streets now turned into a ghost town within the Uyghur town regions of the city.”
The tides were changing, we could all feel them rolling in; but no one dared mention it or matter-of-factly bring about discussion. Soon, well-known business owners seemed to be missing in action, followed soon then after were the regulars that frequented those establishments. When you watch these things unfold in front of you over a decade’s time they seemingly cannot be true. It is only when we look back on it, we can see more clearly looking in the rear-view.
Changing Attitudes.
When I first went there, many people seemed to have an attitude of curiosity and seemed as if they were in awe of me — they had been intrigued, and admired my beauty in a way, as if they were strangely enthralled to be in my presence. It made me feel awkward, yet in a good way; I am not someone who normally turns many heads by any means.
By 2018, however, I could see there was a clear disdain and distaste for foreigners, including Americans. It was the cutting of the eyes, the whispers spoken about me in public restrooms when they thought I couldn’t hear or was too dumb to understand them. This was even evident even as I entered the country via the security check at customs and claims gate. There was a lady who checked and processed our passports, and as I explained clearly the complex situation with my last name and visa, even using Chinese to do so, she gave me this look. She also gave my spouse this look. Like she had a bitter taste in her mouth, as if to say in her mind, ‘How could you choose to be an American when China is so great? How dare you even set foot back in this country.’
Understandably, my own love for China begin to diminish after such unpleasant encounters. It seems to be much easier to dislike someone if you know that they dislike you — especially when they intentionally make things significantly more difficult for you and engulf your freedom in red tape.
Gradually Growing Military & Police Presence
The Border and City Checks.
While crossing outside the city limits, I was interrogated by the police on several occasions at the borders. As you even go outside the city limits and into another regional area, your car will inevitably pass through a police station check. During the check, the workers will look at your Chinese ID card — the shen-fen-zheng birth card. If you are a foreigner, they will look at your passport. If you do not have an ID, be prepared for a massive headache that could end badly. It seemed as though they were specifically looking to target outsiders, and they’d make people step out of the vehicle if they deem necessary. To provide better service for the reader’s imagination, I am a white-skinned, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, average height and weight American woman.
I once was stuck at a stop for almost two hours while traveling outside the city limits of Urumqi to Nan-shan mountain. Since we had gone somewhere else prior and I didn’t realize that we’d be going there later, I hadn’t brought my passport with me that day. They had asked me to go into the border station, alone without any of my Chinese relatives, where I was asked a series of invasive questions, such as where I was going, where I was from, who I was staying with, why I was here and more. Since the officers were not educated in English at all — with most not even or barely finishing high school, so I had been told — I had to explain myself nervously in Chinese. Eventually, I had to have one of my relative go and fetch my identification to prevent me from further being detained at the station. Even though I had felt protected by my family before, now I was no longer so sure of my safety. Undoubtedly many others, especially the Uyghur people, must have also endured such exploitative hassles. I was scared. Miraculously, somehow I had made it through.
The Tanks.
Sometimes, I’d see military tanks drive by on the highway. This was back when the government had really cracked down on the supposed attacks by knives from the Uyghur people against several Han Chinese police officers — everyone continually reiterated this as a fact to aid in the justification of inducing such militant protocols into action. The tanks — they seemed so surprisingly casual to the locals there. They’d hardly blink an eye as the drove through the streets and on the roads. They dared even look in that direction, apart from the occasional salute of acknowledgement to rid themselves of any notion that they may seen as disrespectful.
Whether it was fear that keep their eyes away, or maybe it was denial, confusion, apathy — or maybe it was a way to show high regard, even, I was not completely sure in discerning this motivation. As for me though, I just found it shocking to say the least. Everyone and everything seemed to be so perfectly peaceful and fine, like there was no cause for alarm or need for that level of protection or involvement at all. Everyone that I knew at the time had just been going on with their daily lives, apparently presently unaffected. They remained that way, of course…until people they knew started disappearing.
Policing Street Corners.
This process grew increasingly more difficult throughout the years since my first visit in 2011. I am not exactly sure in my remembering the year, but sometime after 2015, the police officers began standing on the corners of the streets. They would check my cell phone as I walked by with my husband to see if I was a Uyghur, and if not, would inquire as to which nation I belonged.
“I remember the officer asking for and taking a look at my cell phone. Scared to refuse, I stood there and watched him with awe. My anxiety grew as he took a long gander at my shiny new gold and white iPhone, which he held in his visibly dirty, heavily tanned hand.“
He made mention that they were looking at the letters on the screen, to check and see if I was telling the truth of my origin — there had apparently been several folks who had lied and revealed that when the Police had looked and saw the Uyghur language on their phone. I am not sure what would happen in the case such as that, nor was it ever conveyed to me.
The Gas Stations.
When you’d get gas at the stations, all the people would have to get out of the car as standard protocol. The attending officers would then proceed to check the vehicle, including the trunk, for weapons. The car would then be taken into the gas station for fill up, and because I was a foreigner, I was not allowed to stay at the gas station. I had to wait on the street sidewalk out front until the “operation” had been completed. Although I understand the point they had in doing this and that it was to protect the people from threats to security, it made me feel incredibly distraught, like a true outsider that was seen as nothing more than a cause for concern.
Crackdown on Corruption.
Many in China are trapped in their silence, whether they want to be or not. The crisis of the Uyghur genocide that’s been being slowly exposed to the rest of the world receives little attention. Why? How could someone not say this is wrong?
Cracking Down.
The government leader president Xi himself proclaimed his intent to destroy the web of “corruption” within Chinese society, as he frequently referenced in his eloquent speeches that swept televisions across the nation. He delivered well on his promises, as I, too, saw person by person start disappearing. People would end up on the “Black List” of people under close watch…or one day, they were just gone. This seemed to be true of both the Uyghur and the Han alike, for a different but similiar reason — they were a threat to the government, and so must be eradicated.
Whether it was the wealthy who had bribed their way to the top of China’s complex social and economical hierarchy, or the religious Uyghur family conspiring in their hearts for a free East Turkistan, partaking in worship to someone other than the President — it was evident that they were undermining the authoritative power of the Party and the government.
The families felt an overwhelming sadness that you could see behind cold, cloudy eyes. It was as if they knew there was absolutely nothing that could be done to oppose the system, apart from altogether hiding. Everyone knew that if you went to “jail,” you weren’t coming back. There have been a countless number of executions in amounts unsurpassable that have gone undocumented to this day.
Powerless, the families of the missing persons didn’t even talk about it amongst friends, for fear that they’d be snatched up, too. Most of these crimes were of course related to money. Personal connection and bribery has undeniably played a huge part in Chinese culture for some time now; and truthfully, it has been basically the only way to acquire wealth in such an economically volatile economy that has been dominated by an authoritarian government. Just like anybody else would, many people did what they believed necessary to survive, and to survive well enough to provide for their families. They seemed to have limited options in accomplishing that goal. For the Uyghur, this meant that their business and means of living a good life were obviously linked to a success in working with the Han.
It’s no secret that Changji has recently had an explosion of business expansion, from its previous rural state. The question is how has this happened? Who is behind these investments? Is it related to the enslavement of the Uyghur people?
I’ve been left in the dark by my family, who has apparently been using me as some form of protection to hide behind what they’ve been doing to conduct business. I want the world to see my life, so that the truth can eventually be uncovered and those who’ve been hurt as a result of inhumane mistreatment to receive the justice they deserve. Good people of both America and China do NOT deserve this.
What they’ve done or still are doing, I do not know for certain. All I know is there exists a secret group of investors operating behind legitimate appearing business, also involving the stock market — and I’ve been left in the dark, and I now am aware there is sex trafficking going on in our marital estate here in America, and was victimized myself.
“Re-Education” Begins — Cultural Views & Propaganda.
The sense of nationalism through direct party messages and more indirect propaganda was so indescribably obvious — It was almost as if being In Orwell’s 1984, where “Big Brother” was always watching. I have to admit that it even had me going for a while — believing that I, too, could be a part of something wonderful, something greater than myself if I‘d unite with others in this so called “Chinese Dream.”
“There is the pervasive message of the “The Chinese Dream,” ever-present and infiltrating every crevice in which it could be squeezed to make fit. “
Some People Probably Know, But Most People Don’t Realize.
First of all, most people probably do not even have a clue about what’s really happening regarding these re-education camps because of the clear distinctions in social class, which ultimately divides people in regard to accessing information. There is a non-existent middle class throughout China — you are either extraordinarily wealthy, or you are extremely poor.
Those who are privileged enough to have access to government official cohorts are undoubtedly aware of the true happenings, but they have no choice but to remain silent or incriminate themselves. In China, even the slightest betrayal against the government’s authority could land you in jail or worse, murdered. The people of China know they are being closely watched and monitored, and this is especially true in Xinjiang.
Many Chinese people I’ve known and interacted with, including the poor, have seemed to have dismissive attitudes towards the possibility of concentration camps. While most are aware of the “re-education” directives that have been instigated by the government, they see it as being for the greater good of China, not a form or practice of discrimination or religious persecution. Further, many think that the Uyghur people have intentionally sought out attention from America so that they can “free East Turkistan” to be empowered enough to rise against the government to form their own country.
They do not believe the Uyghur people are being harmed during this process of re-acclimating their culture to align with “more appropriate” Chinese ideals. There were a series of commercials on television which encouraged the Han Chinese to take their Uyghur friends or relatives in and treat them as “family” and teach them the way to be “real Chinese.” Residents I spoke with about this proclaimed it as a harmless, beneficial tactic to establish peace and harmony of the tumultuous Xinjiang region.
While I am sure not all people feel or think this way, this has been my experience in listening to the few perspectives that I’ve had the opportunity to hear. Perhaps this belief is mostly due to the fear of going against whatever it is that the government is doing, whether it is good or bad they choose ambivalence, because they likely feel they could wind up dead if they do have an opinion.
Final Thoughts
It’s true: the mass detention of the Uyghur people of Xinjiang is like a secret that goes without even being whispered. The press and media outlets are now censored so heavily throughout China that people may not be genuinely well-informed of what is going on behind the regime. The people of Urumqi have seen it happening slowly around them, but they are either unaware or turning their faces in the opposite direction to the bigger purpose for fear of their lives. I can only hope that in time, the truth with be revealed to the world.
Bonus Material
Watch one of my many fun adventures had while exploring the beautiful mountains of China, and enjoying the wonders the world had to offer me.
![Sam [Sans Surname]](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fill:144:144/1*I34ZzPEGBWDvIv5c5qwcqA.jpeg)