Kyrgyz MFA: There is no ethnic Kyrgyz in Chinese re-education camps

The head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, Chingiz Aidarbekov met with the Chairman of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, Shohrat Zakir in Urumqi, reports 24kg citing the press service of Kyrgyz Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

According to it, among other things, the issue of the stay of ethnic Kyrgyz in political re-education camps was discussed.

The Chairman of XUAR, Shokhrat Zakir, called the camps vocational and technical educational centers that dealt with training in various specialties, thanks to which persons, who got there for minor offenses, got additional knowledge and experience. This allows them to find a job.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic notes that Shokhrat Zakir excluded the ethnic component in the recruitment of trainees. At the same time, information on the presence of ethnic Kyrgyz in these centers was not confirmed.

However, it should be noted that Kyrgyz people protested several times in front of the Chinese embassy in Bishkek December of last year. The gathered demand the release of Kyrgyz people from "re-education camps" in China.

It is also worth noting that on November 23 of last year about 10 Kyrgyz and ethnic Kyrgyz from China held a press conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan.  Moreover, kayrylmans from China and relatives of ethnic Kyrgyz in China appealed to Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov. They were asking for help in freeing their relatives from the “re-education camps” in China.

About Xinjiang has been reported as a “political re-education camps” since 2016. However, citisens call these as prisons, the Chinese authorities call them training centers.

"The Qazaq Times"