Xinjiang papers

The Xinjiang papers are a collection of more than 400 pages of internal Chinese government documents which give their readers "an unprecedented inside look" at the crackdown on Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang region. In November 2019, journalists Austin Ramzy and Chris Buckley at "The New York Times" broke the story that characterized the documents as "one of the most significant leaks of government papers from inside China’s ruling Communist Party in decades." The documents were leaked by a source inside the Chinese Communist Party and include a breakdown of how China created and organized re-education camps in Xinjiang, which were created in 2017.
In response to the Xinjiang papers publication, the Chinese government has called the documents "sheer, pure fabrication." The leak has led to increased scrutiny and criticism of China's internment camps in Xinjiang.
Description and contents.
The Xinjiang papers are a collection of over 400 pages of leaked internal Chinese documents detailing the detention of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang by the Chinese government and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). They consist of internal speeches by CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping and other officials, reports of population control and surveillance of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, and internal investigations into local officials.
According to the leaked documents, CCP leader Xi Jinping’s speeches laid the groundwork for a campaign against “terrorism, infiltration, and separatism” by Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. Xi compared Islamic extremism to a virus, arguing that extremism has become commonplace in Xinjiang and the Chinese government must “show absolutely no mercy.” According to analysis by The New York Times, Xi views threats to China though the “prism of the collapse of the Soviet Union” and aims to eliminate any challenges to party rule.
The Xinjiang papers describe the expansion of internment camps and new security controls following the 2016 appointment of Chen Quanguo as the party secretary of Xinjiang. According to the documents, the party ordered the detention of anyone with “’symptoms of religious radicalism or antigovernment views,” including wearing long beards and studying Arabic.
The documents also state that the internment campaign faced doubts and resistance from local officials, some of whom were purged or jailed. They specifically mention Wang Yongzhi, the former Party Secretary of Yarkand County. Wang privately disagreed with the scale of the detentions and ordered the release of over 7,000 inmates, which allegedly led him to be stripped of power and imprisoned. According to The New York Times, the party “made an example” of Wang to show they would not tolerate any resistance to their campaign.
Publication by The New York Times.
On November 16, 2019, Ramzy and Buckley of The New York Times published the Xinjiang papers along with translated excerpts and their own analysis. Ramzy and Buckley state that the documents were provided by a Chinese government official who requested anonymity and hoped to “prevent party leaders, including Mr. Xi, from escaping culpability for the mass detentions.”
The publication of the Xinjiang papers was followed by the China Cables leak a few days later. Other documents allegedly leaked from Chinese government sources include the Aksu List and the Karakax List.
Political reactions.
Domestic.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang responded to The New York Times report in a press conference on November 18, 2019. He stated that Xinjiang-related issues are purely domestic affairs. Geng accused The New York Times of using “clumsy patchwork and distortion” to “hype up the so-called ‘internal documents’” and “smear China’s counter-terrorism and de-radicalization efforts.”
A spokesperson for the Xinjiang regional government stated that the report was “full of nonsense, lies and sinister intentions” and "completely fabricated." China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom described the documents as “sheer, pure fabrication.”
International.
Australia.
Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne called the New York Times report “disturbing” and stated that it reinforced Australia’s resolve to raise their human rights concerns with Beijing. Penny Wong, foreign affairs spokesperson for the Australian Labor Party, called the report “deeply disturbing” and urged China to respond “transparently and swiftly.” Australian Greens leader Richard Di Natale described the report as “horrifying” and stated that Australia needed to “play an active diplomatic role in putting maximum pressure on China."
Following the publication of the papers, Australia suspended a human rights partnership with China.
United States.
The New York Times report was retweeted by several US politicians, including Chuck Schumer, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden. According to Schumer, the Xinjiang papers show that the Chinese government directed a “brutal [and] repressive campaign” against Uyghur Muslims. Warren described China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims as a "horrifying human rights violation” and Biden wrote that it was “among the worst abuses of human rights in the world today.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell referenced the Xinjiang papers in a speech to the United States Senate, stating that the documents were a “handbook for [an] Orwellian campaign to effectively erase a religious and ethnic minority.” The Xinjiang papers leak also prompted calls for the United States to boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Allegations of human rights violations.
The Xinjiang papers leak contributed to accusations of extrajudicial detention and genocide against the Chinese government. According to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the documents demonstrate the “scale and depth of Beijing’s Xinjiang program” and make it difficult for China to deny allegations of Uyghur and Muslim persecution.
Along with other leaked documents, the Xinjiang papers have led to increased attention and scrutiny of China’s internment camps in Xinjiang.