“We Are Afraid to Even Look for Them”

Map of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region

Map of Urumqi

Summary

Key Recommendations

Methodology

I. Background

Root Causes of the Xinjiang Protests

The July 5-7 Protests in Urumqi

China’s Record of Unaccounted-for Detentions and Due Process Violations

Government Control of Information in the Aftermath of the Xinjiang Protests

II. Official Data on Arrests and Due Process Concerns

III. Enforced Disappearances and Unlawful Arrests

Enforced Disappearance of Makhmud M., Age 25, Abdurakhman A., Age 31, and 16 Other Men

Enforced Disappearance of Ziyad-Ahun Z., Age 24 and Shakir Sh., Age 24

Enforced Disappearance of Nuriddin N., Age 20

Enforced Disappearance of Karim-Ahun K., Age 16, Fazliddin F., Age 18, and 14 Other Men

Enforced Disappearance of Two Brothers, Jalal-Ahun J., Age 24, and Jamshid J., Age 25, and Two Other Men  

Enforced Disappearance of Sharafutdin Sh., Age 14

Enforced Disappearance of Anvar-Ahun A., Age 35

Possible Enforced Disappearance of Umar-Ahun U., Age 24

Possible Enforced Disappearance of Muhammadamin M., Age 25

Possible Enforced Disappearance of Abdurahim A., Age 18

IV. Legal Standards

China’s Obligations under International Law..

China’s National Law..

V. Recommendations

To the Chinese Government

To the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR)

To the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

To China’s International Partners

VI. Acknowledgments

VII. Appendix

Human Rights Watch letter to Zhou Wenzhong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in the United States of America