WUC Brief Flags China Surveillance, Uyghur Rights Concerns

WUC weekly brief highlights China's surveillance, Uyghur rights concerns

Munich, October 3

According to the WUC weekly brief, a new report by the Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), titled "Monitoring the Frontier," examined what it described as an interconnected architecture of surveillance and control across East Turkistan, Tibet, Inner Mongolia and Hong Kong.

The report identified 135 contracts in East Turkistan referencing biometric data-collection technologies, while US-sanctioned surveillance company Uniview appeared in 54 surveillance-related contracts, often through third parties, the WUC said.

The WUC brief also highlighted a warning issued by the UK Security Service, MI5, over alleged attempts by Chinese intelligence-linked organisations to exploit British academic research. MI5 reportedly said more than 100 academics connected to British institutions had unknowingly contributed to projects linked to the China General Technology Research Institute, which the agency says has ties to China's Ministry of State Security.

The weekly brief further focused on the expansion of international businesses in East Turkistan. WUC said Starbucks opened its first two stores in Urumchi on September 29, including outlets at the Grand Bazaar and Tianshan International Airport.

The organisation criticised the move, arguing that international companies risk contributing to what it described as a "veneer of normalcy" amid continuing concerns over Uyghur rights. The WUC called on Starbucks to close the outlets and leave the region.

According to the WUC, Uyghur rights were also raised during the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child's pre-sessional working group ahead of China's upcoming review. WUC and the Uyghur rights group UZDM raised concerns over family separation, state-run boarding schools, discrimination, cultural and religious rights, and alleged forced labour involving Uyghur children.

The WUC said its representatives urged the UN committee to seek detailed information from Beijing on the scale and circumstances of family separation.

The weekly brief also highlighted protests held on October 1 by Uyghur, Tibetan, Hongkonger, Southern Mongolian and Chinese rights groups in several countries. WUC said demonstrations in Germany, Belgium, the United States and Türkiye drew attention to human rights concerns and China's policies toward ethnic minorities.

— ANI