Former Xinjiang Policeman Details 1 Million Detentions to German Lawmakers as China Harasses His Family
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 28
Former Xinjiang Policeman Details 1 Million Detentions to German Lawmakers as China Harasses His Family
1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 28
Summary
Zhang Yabo, a former Xinjiang police officer, told German lawmakers in June that China turned the region into a "giant prison," then broke down in tears describing the system he once enforced.
Nine years inside Xinjiang's security apparatus left him, he said, working endless shifts, sleeping at the office and living under constant fear while helping carry out surveillance, detention and indoctrination.
After seeking asylum in Germany last summer, Zhang said Chinese authorities froze his bank accounts, labeled him a traitor and harassed his family.
An estimated 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities were held in internment camps at the height of the campaign, making Zhang one of the few former enforcers to publicly testify about it.