Liu Xin Source
It is normal juridical activities for local authorities to transfer prisoners, Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region said in an exclusive response to the Global Times, commenting on a video clip that has been spreading on overseas social media, which was hyped by Western media as “evidence” of “repression” of Uygurs in the region.
“Fighting crime is something every country would do. Xinjiang’s crackdown on crimes has never targeted any ethnic group or religion,” Xinjiang authorities told the Global Times.
Video which showed a group of blindfolded people sitting on the ground handcuffed went viral on overseas social media after BBC’s Andrew Marr Show showed it while interviewing Chinese Ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming on July 19.
Some media said the video proves the existence of a “concentration camp” in Xinjiang and the local government’s “repression” of Uygurs.
Marr claimed in the interview that the tape, which has been “authenticated by Western intelligence agencies and Australian experts,” was Uygur people being pushed on the train.
Ambassador Liu said, “Sometimes you need to transfer prisoners, you know, in any country.”
Some people in the video wore blue vests with “Kashi Prison” written on them, and guards had “SWAT” written on their uniforms.
The video, which was taken by a drone, was first uploaded by the Youtube account “War on Fear” on September 17, 2019, and CNN reported on it that October. The account was registered on that day, and has only released that video.
The Global Times reached some experts, who said that putting the authenticity of the video aside, the content itself cannot prove “repression of Uygurs”
