The Chinese government has defended its genocidal policies in the region, arguing that they are necessary coercive measures which are aimed at tackling extremism and terrorism. This is a trope that is routinely used to mask and cover up the gross human rights abuses being committed. As part of its cultural genocide, Beijing has destroyed centuries-old mosques and Muslim cemeteries, forcibly denied Muslims the right to practice their faith and is altering the traditional structure of Uyghur Muslim families.
The Chinese government has routinely denied the existence of concentration camps, despite there being clear evidence to the contrary. Up to a million Uyghur Muslims are believed to be detained in these camps. The regime claims that these are 're-educational centers' which are built to reform the local population and teach them new skills. Survivors and former detainees of such camps, however, have spoken of brutal and inhuman acts of torture, both physical and psychological.
Earlier this year, a horrifying report published by the BBC revealed the extent to which rape is used against defenseless Uyghur Muslim women detained in these concentration camps. The report shares horrific and explicit witness accounts of how Chinese soldiers and police officers viciously rape and torture Uyghur women in the camps. Furthermore, Uyghur Muslim women are forcibly sterilized, robbing them of their right to bear children. These policies appear to be aimed at curbing the Muslim population in the region.
A ground-breaking report published in March this year revealed that every single article of the United Nations 1948 Genocide Convention has been violated by the Chinese state in its treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
