China on Monday defended its vast network of re-education camps in Xinjiang and said it would continue"training" residents, following explosive government document leaks detailing surveillance and control of the region's Uighur population.
In a press conference, Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the far-west region, rejected the estimates by rights groups and foreign experts that over a million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities are kept at the camps. Currently, those in the centres have"all completed their courses," he said, adding that"there are people entering and exiting."
A separate leak of government documents by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists showed how local officials were ordered to monitor camp detainees and prevent their escape. Chinese state media have ramped up a defence of government policies in Xinjiang, posting on Twitter graphic videos with English subtitles of deadly attacks in the region.