Like several of his Muslim compatriots in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region, Baqytali Nour was arrested by Chinese authorities and then sent to a re-education camp. Met by The duty a few weeks ago in the suburbs of Almaty, in Kazakhstan, the 51-year-old man offers a rare testimony on what takes place inside these detention centers where hundreds of people are said to have been crowded over the years. thousands of Uighurs and Kazakhs.
Born in Xinjiang, Baqytali belongs to the Kazakh ethnic group, of Muslim faith. In October 2017, he was arrested by Chinese authorities while trying to cross the border at Khorgos into Kazakhstan. A route he used to take. “I did import-export. I was going to Kazakhstan to sell vegetables that I brought from China and I brought back with me products made of metal. »
During his arrest, three police officers handcuffed him, he said, then took him to the basement of a detention center for questioning. “They asked me if I was going to the mosque. And they told me that Kazakhstan is one of the countries where there are terrorists and therefore, that I must be involved in these activities,” he reports.
Since Baqytali refused to admit his guilt, he was beaten and then made to stand for several hours with one wrist chained to the ceiling. “They then forced me to put my thumbprint on a piece of paper [à titre de signature], but I don’t even know what was written on it. »
The father of three was later sent to the camp in Chapchal district. “I spent a year and two months there,” he said, looking away. It was difficult there. » About ten six-story buildings were on the site. “There were around 160 men on each floor. I was the only Kazakh in my unit. All the others were Uighurs. »
Greatness of China
In the camp, they were forbidden to speak Uighur or Kazakh, or to perform ablutions to pray. “We still managed to speak our languages in the toilets since it was the only place where there were no cameras,” says Baqytali, passing his hand over his forehead. But it was impossible to practice our religion. »
With the other inmates, he spent around fifteen hours a day in a class where lessons were hammered home to them on the greatness of China and communism. “They taught us Chinese politics, made us sing communist songs and praised Chinese President Xi Jinping,” he explains.
The man also says he was medicated against his will. “We were given injections and forced to take pills, but we didn’t know what they were or why they were given them to us. » Contrary to other testimonies from these camps, Baqytali says he was not forced to work.
” Hit hard “
At least a million Muslims, mainly Uighurs and Kazakhs, have been interned in recent years in these re-education camps located in Xinjiang. A region – strategic for Beijing since it borders eight countries – that the Uighurs call East Turkestan and which is driven by a sovereignist movement.
About ten years ago, the region was shaken by a series of attacks. Since then, the Chinese government of Xi Jinping has launched a campaign, called “Strike Hard”, aimed at combating terrorism and extremism. In a response to an investigation published last year by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Beijing ensures that it respects “the rule of law”, without seeking to “suppress ethnic minorities”, and describes these camps as “educational establishments” intended for “deradicalization”.
But several international organizations and countries denounce this repression which, in their eyes, targets Muslim minorities. Allegations of torture, sexual violence, forced labor, forced medical treatment, and restrictions on freedom of religion and freedom of movement have been documented and found credible.
At the same time, as repression increased in Xinjiang against Muslim communities, the Han ethnic group, the majority in China, saw its presence swell in the province, from a few tens of thousands of inhabitants in the 1950s. to more than 10 million today.
Released
Baqytali fell ill at the Chapchal camp. “I had water in my lungs and one of my legs was paralyzed,” he remembers. On November 16, 2018, due to his health problems, the father was released and placed in house arrest for six months. Subsequently, Baqytali, who holds Kazakh and Chinese citizenship, was able to resume its import-export activities. “Before crossing the border, I signed a paper to say that I would return to China in a month. But I left with the intention of never coming back. »
The survivor arrived in Kazakhstan on August 15, 2019, but his wife, who remained in Xinjiang, was under pressure for him to return and could not leave the region. “I threatened to complain to international organizations if they did not allow my wife and children to come and join me,” Baqytali maintains. Three months later, his family arrived in Kazakhstan.
Today, Baqytali says he wants to tell his story to raise awareness. “I want people to know what China is doing. »
With Naubet Bisenov
This report was financed thanks to the support of the Transat-International Journalism Fund.The duty.