The "Re-education" Camps of China by Paige Mongon

We, as a populace, are generally not very privy to many current events in our world. Lands are decimated,
towns crumble to naught but ashes, cultures are wiped from existence, yet we continue about our lives
unaffected and unburdened as a thousand miles assumes the distance of entire worlds. Even within our own
country, we remain blissfully ignorant, unaware of the plight of our neighbors and fellow countries alike. 

A ways across the sea lies a country known as China, a heavily populated region of East Asia in the throes
of communism. Renowned for its production of countless goods and its strong economy, it is a country that
wields great political power. Yet China is not just a country of communism, of factories and booming
populations, but also of something the Chinese government likes to term a “re-education camp”. As innocent
as a “re-education camp” sounds, its very name is a misnomer, belying the true torment occurring within
these camps that bear striking resemblances to concentration camps. 

After World War II, we promised “never again”. It was a slogan of sorts, a burning torch to be held aloft in
pride in the wake of a triumphant victory. We were wrong. Genocides still occur today- and these elusive
re-education camps may be contributing to one. Initially, Chinese politicians outright denied their existence.
They refused to acknowledge such camps, and when they finally conceded they claimed it was merely a
measure being taken against “terrorists” and “religious extremists”. However, there appears to be no
substantial evidence of terrorists, no proof as to these “radicals”, though all those in “re-education” camps
have one thing in common- they are Muslim ethnic minorities, many of them Uighurs. Once detained, these
Muslims go through a rigorous process that bids them to cast off their faith in favor of the ideology and
beliefs of the Chinese government. Forced to shed traditional Islamic practices such as wearing a headscarf
or praying, they are sometimes forced to consume pork as well, an action which blatantly violates their
beliefs. As if this weren’t terrible enough, many Uighur women and other Muslims are forcibly implanted
with contraceptives to prevent reproduction or, if they are already with a child, an abortion is performed
against their will. According to NBC, over a million Muslim Uighurs are forced to suffer through such
conditions in Chinese detention camps.
The purpose of “re-education camps” runs much deeper than simply education. It is the dehumanization
of religious minorities whom the Chinese government deems ‘dangerous’ merely because their religion
doesn’t coincide with the major religions in China. It is the destruction and terrorization of a people who
have done nothing to offend the Chinese government, nothing except peacefully belong to a religion of their
choosing. Had these camps truly been established to re-educate, there would be no need for orders such as
the one recorded at a detention facility in Hotan, where “2,768 police batons, 550 electric cattle prods, 1,367
pairs of handcuffs, and 2,792 cans of pepper spray” were ordered according to The Nation. Police batons are
not used for education, nor are electric cattle prods or pepper spray. These are, rather, tools of torture, tools
used to inflict pain and terror. These are not tools of a classroom. Despite this, despite the plethora of
evidence suggesting that a humanitarian crisis is occurring in these “re-education” camps, not a single
country has actively risen in opposition to China. Why? Because despite our earlier promise, despite our
agreement to ensure the prevention of future genocides, concern for the welfare of our own nations come
first. Many countries trade with China- without China, exports for countries such as New Zealand would
quickly decrease. Thus, we turn a blind eye, allowing for the suffering of Muslims in China because our
most pressing concerns are ourselves.

Ethnic Uighurs protesting Muslim internment camps in China. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Sources:
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/30/china-warns-us-criticism-over-xinjiang-is-not-helpful-for-trade-talks.html

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/inside-chinese-camps-thought-detain-million-muslim-uighurs-n1062321

https://www.thenation.com/article/china-muslims-detention-camps/