The police will investigate those who had earlier violated the law by fasting during Ramzan.
Beijing:
Chinese police are using spies to ensure that Uighur Muslims do not fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
Radio Free Asia cited a police officer from an area near Turpan, or Tulufan in Chinese, in the eastern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region as saying that the spies, whom Chinese officials call “kans”, target civilians, police and members of neighborhood committees. are taken from
Speaking to Radio Free Asia, the police officer said, “We have many secret agents.”
China began banning Muslims from fasting during Ramadan in Xinjiang in 2017, amid efforts to undermine Uyghur culture, language and religion, according to news reports after authorities arbitrarily “re-introduced” Uyghurs. education” began to be held in camps.
The ban announced by the Chinese authorities was partially relaxed in 2021 and 2022, people over the age of 65 were allowed to fast and the police also reduced the number of house searches and street patrols Was. Radio Free Asia cited a political officer at the Turpan City Police Station as saying that this year, the Chinese government has banned fasting regardless of age, gender or profession.
Radio Free Asia cited a policeman from the Turpan City market police station as saying that during the first week of Ramadan, Chinese authorities called in 56 Uyghur residents and former detainees for questioning about their activities and said that among them 54 broke the law by fasting.
According to the news report, neither he nor any other police officer at the station would discuss what happened to those who determined to violate the law. Radio Free Asia cited officials as saying that police stations in Turpan have assigned two or three detectives from each village to monitor those detained for fasting during Ramadan and those released from jail. Are.
A police officer near Turpan said, “Our ‘ears’ came from three areas – ordinary residents, police and neighborhood committees.” She said that they recruited Uyghurs to survey other Uyghurs because of the language barrier. He added, “In my workplace, there are 70-80 Uyghur policemen who either serve directly as ‘ears’ or lead other civilian ‘ears’.”
The Turpan City Bazar police station recruited two or three “kans”, ie detectives, to monitor the activities of the residents during Ramadan. According to a policeman, some villages even have four to five detectives, Radio Free Asia reported.
According to a police official, the police will investigate those who had earlier violated the law by fasting during Ramzan as well as organizing fasting activities.
An employee of the Turpan Prefecture Police Bureau said that officials there had spies working within the police to check whether the Uyghur officers were fasting from dawn to dusk. He said that according to news reports, he has not yet found any officer who is fasting.
A police officer at a police station in Turpan town said this year’s policy included house searches, street patrols and mosque searches. Authorities are questioning Uighur Muslim families whether they are getting up before dawn to eat and gathering for meals after sunset.
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