Senior officials from Northwest China's
Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region said on Tuesday that no one is mistreated in the vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang and that certain countries and sections of the international media have intentionally reported distorted facts about the training centers.
"Xinjiang sets up and runs these training centers in accordance with the laws and regulations. The centers were established after violent attacks that rattled Xinjiang and 'three evil forces' (terrorism, extremism and separatism) started spreading extremism in the disguise of religion," Shohrat Zakir, deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Xinjiang Committee and chairman of Xinjiang government, said during a press conference on Tuesday. He added that by drawing lessons from other countries' successful anti-terrorism and de-radicalization measures, Xinjiang set up the training centers, aiming to save people who have been influenced by extremist ideas.
Questions on Xinjiang's training centers were raised during a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday to unveil the economic and social developments in the region.
Shohrat said that Xinjiang is located in the geographic center of Asia bordering eight neighbor countries of China.
Some of the Central Asian countries have been reeling under terrorism and suffered greatly in recent years. Meanwhile, some overseas forces attempt to collude with extremists and terrorists in China's Xinjiang to achieve their political motives.
Shohrat informed that trainees in these centers are learning about the law so they can know their basic rights, obligations, and responsibilities as a Chinese citizen. They are also taught the standard Chinese to better integrate into society along with lessons on practicing their religion in accordance with the law.
In response to questions on many Uyghurs being incarcerated in the training centers, Alken Tuniaz, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Xinjiang Committee and vice-chairman of the Xinjiang government, said that these reports are "not telling the truth and trying to call white as black and have other agendas."
Respective spokespersons of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the State Council Information Office have reiterated the information concerning these training centers. Setting these centers is an effective way of de-radicalization and curbing the menace of terrorism.
More than 90 percent of the trainees who graduated from these centers secured stable jobs and are living a happy life, he added. Many of the training centers in Xinjiang have also started offering short-term employment training to farmers.
