China targets families of Uyghur whistle blowers

Abduweli Ayup believes his niece, Mihriay Erkin, died in state custody in Xinjiang, China, because of his activism. The photo on his computer shows Ms. Erkin.Andrea Gjestvang for The New York Times

China targets families of Uyghur whistle blowers

As Beijing has intensified its crackdown in Xinjiang, in western China, more Uyghurs living abroad have spoken out about mass internment camps and abuse. But increasingly their families stuck at home are paying the price, and in some cases going to prison for decades or longer.

The Communist Party has long treated the relatives of dissidents as guilty by association and used them to pressure and punish outspoken family members. With the Uyghurs, the authorities seem to be applying this tactic with unusual, and increasing, severity. There is little recourse to challenge such prosecutions.

Quotable: “People are not only suffering there, they are not only being indoctrinated there, not only being tortured, they are actually dying,” said Abduweli Ayup, whose family members have been targeted in retaliation for his activism. “And the Chinese government is using this death, using these threats to make us silent, to make us lose our hope.”