According to the news, in 2017, China started restricting Uighurs in Xinjiang from fasting during Ramadan. This was the period when the authorities locked Uighurs in ‘re-education’ camps. In 2021 and 2022, the ban was partially relaxed allowing up to 65 people to fast. During this, the police had reduced house searches and road patrolling. However, an official at the Turpan City Police Station said that the government has prohibited everyone from observing the fast this year, regardless of age, gender or profession, RFA reported.
Detectives keeping an eye on ‘suspects’
According to officials, police stations in Turpan have selected two or three detectives from each village to spy on residents who were earlier detained for fasting during Ramzan. Detectives are also keeping an eye on people released from jail. A police officer told RFA that these ‘ears’ are from three sectors, the common citizens, the police and the committees. The police officer said, ‘At my workplace, there are 70 to 80 Uyghur policemen who either act directly as ‘ears’ or lead other detectives.’
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Detectives are also present among the police
The official said that due to the language barrier, we have recruited Uighurs to keep an eye on other Uighurs. Officials claimed that they have also planted spies among the police force to monitor the fasting of Uyghur officers during Ramadan. This year’s policy also includes house searches, street patrolling and mosque searches. Patrol officers are questioning Uighur families to see if they are eating before dawn and gathering for iftar after sunset, which Chinese officials consider illegal.