World Uyghur Congress reports on China surveillance and rights concerns

The World Uyghur Congress (WUC) has released a weekly brief detailing international concerns regarding China’s surveillance infrastructure and human rights in East Turkistan. A report by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS) identified 135 contracts in East Turkistan involving biometric data-collection technologies, noting that the US-sanctioned company Uniview was linked to 54 of these contracts.

The brief also addressed security warnings from the UK’s MI5, which reported that over 100 British academics may have unknowingly contributed to research projects linked to the China General Technology Research Institute, an entity allegedly tied to China’s Ministry of State Security.

Additionally, the WUC criticized the expansion of international businesses in the region, specifically noting that Starbucks opened two new stores in Urumchi on September 29. The organization argued that such business activities provide a ‘veneer of normalcy’ despite ongoing human rights concerns and called for the company to exit the region.