The Chinese government in 2019 said VETC is a “forgiving” form of rehabilitation for those involved in “minor cases”.
However, the UN report states that the distinction between “serious” and “minor” acts of terrorism and / or “extremist” acts is unclear, with the same types of conduct often included in both legal categories.
File: Security officers in protective suits stand in a reception area at the visitor lounge of the No. 3 of Urumqi in Xinjiang (AP)
In addition, the report said it found “credible” allegations of torture and sexual assault, including rape, in such detention centers in Xinjiang.
Individuals interviewed by the OHCHR provided shocking details about the treatment of the authorities during their confinement in VETC facilities.
Their reports included being “beaten with batons, including electric batons while tied in a so-called ‘tiger chair’, being interrogated with water poured on their faces, prolonged isolation, and being forced to sit still on small stools. for prolonged periods of time ‘.
The number in the VETC, at least between 2017 and 2019, “was very significant, comprising a substantial part of the Uighur population and other predominantly Muslim minorities,” the United Nations said.
