China's Xinjiang repression persists as UN warns of crimes against humanity

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights' 2022 assessment concluded that the arbitrary and discriminatory detentions of Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim Turkic groups in Xinjiang could amount to crimes against humanity. Despite Beijing’s claims that the so‑called "vocational education and training centers" have been shut and that normal life has returned, human‑rights monitors say the repression continues through mass surveillance, forced labour, restricted travel and communication, and the targeting of ordinary behaviours such as contacting relatives abroad or using VPNs.

Human Rights Watch’s April 2026 report documented that hundreds of thousands of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims are subjected to arbitrary detention, unlawful imprisonment, intensive monitoring and forced labour. In January 2026, UN special rapporteurs issued a new warning about forced‑labour programmes affecting Uyghurs, Tibetans and other minorities, echoing concerns raised by the International Labour Organization about large‑scale labour transfer schemes. The Chinese government has rejected the calls for independent investigations and accountability, maintaining that its policies are security measures rather than rights violations.