China has a very serious image problem when it comes to the treatment of of the Uyghurs and other Turkic ethnic groups in the north-western province of Xinjiang. Internet searches on the topic throw up phrases such as “genocide” and “forced labour”. Some researchers estimate that since 2016, more than one million people have been detained without trial. However, while China's critics accuse it of crimes against humanity, the authorities insist that peace and stability has returned to a restive area, once plagued by violent unrest and terrorism. In this podcast, Michael Clarke, editor of The Xinjiang Emergency and a Visiting Fellow at the Australia-China Relations Institute, discusses the situation with host, Duncan Bartlett.
China In Context: Episode 57
Broadcast date: 22 March, 2022