An anonymous letter from a Uyghur in China
A citizen in eastern China describes how Uyghur “mouths have been sealed” over the past five years.
Darren Byler
Darren Byler is an Assistant Professor of International Studies at Simon Fraser University, where his teaching and research focus is on the technology and politics of urban life in Northwest China and Southeast Asia. His writing has appeared in Logic, Guardian, and ChinaFile, among other publications.
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In Xinjiang, a new normal under a new chief — and also more of the same
Ma Xingrui, the new party secretary of Xinjiang, is tasked with repairing the damage left by his predecessor, Chen Quanguo, who initiated the largest internment of a religious minority since World War II. But he will also need to execute Beijing’s new policy of thwarting what it calls the “two plots.”
Xinjiang: On technology and crimes against humanity
The camp system in Xinjiang — the largest internment of a religious minority since World War II — is the first to employ a comprehensive digital surveillance system across an entire population, a "super panoptic" that uses automated, real-time assessments of massive amounts of data to sort populations based on their racial phenotypes and digital records.
Why Xinjiang is an internal settler colony
This essay is adapted from Darren Byler’s forthcoming book, Terror Capitalism: Uyghur Dispossession and Masculinity in a Chinese City, published by Duke University Press (December 2021).
‘Ethnic extinction’ in northwest China
State policies in education are forcing Uyghur children to grow up in non-Muslim, Mandarin-speaking environments. Uyghur culture is being lost as a result.
The Reciter: A Uyghur family’s pride — and downfall
Nurali, after memorizing the Quran, brought immense pride to his family. But back home in Xinjiang, his mother, who financed his studies, was accused of abetting "terrorism," and sentenced to 16.5 years in prison.
‘Truth and reconciliation’: Excerpts from the Xinjiang Clubhouse
For 16 hours, people in a Clubhouse room called “Is there a concentration camp in Xinjiang?” spoke freely, centering the discussion on those most harmed by state violence. Even while it was happening, the conversation felt historic — and worth preserving.
‘Only when you, your children, and your grandchildren become Chinese’: Life after Xinjiang detainment
“They said there was a document sent from above, from the administrative center, and that they were acting based on that document. They said no one can change the document since it was sent from the Central Committee. They said that the current system would not change until all Muslim nationalities would be extinct.”
Three years of silence: Rahile Dawut named honorary professor
Dawut disappeared in December 2017 after being detained by state authorities as she planned to travel to Beijing for a conference. She has not been publicly charged with a crime.
‘The atmosphere has become abnormal’: Han Chinese views from Xinjiang
Around 9.5 million Han Chinese live in Xinjiang, making up about 40% of the region's population. How do they view Beijing's policies of surveillance and Uyghur reeducation?