Introduction

This section contains leaked documents published on third-party platforms and international journals. The articles chosen are based on the fact that they include many primary sources of information.

An image of one page of a Chinese government extradition request.
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, Axios, May 2020

Exclusive: Documents Show China’s Secret Extradition Request for Uighur in Turkey

Leaked diplomatic cables from China to Turkey regarding an extradition request shows that China’s judicial system has reach beyond its borders in controlling Uyghur bodies. Enver Turdi, the individual being extradited in this case “passed along information about Chinese government abuses to Radio Free Asia and to Uyghur organizations abroad.”

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Ivan Watson and Ben Wescott, CNN, February 2020

Watched, Judged, Detained

These leaked Chinese government records reveal detailed surveillance reports on Uyghur families and Beijing’s justification for mass detentions.

Isobel Yeung and Nicole Bozorgmir, VICE, 17 February 2020

LEAK: Secret Documents Show How China Targets Muslims for ‘Re-Education’ Camps — and Spies on Their Families

The vast majority of people were interned for mundane behavior like wearing a hijab, having “thick beards,” visiting a foreign website, or applying for a passport.

Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian, International Consortium, of Investigative Journalists, 24 November 2019

Exposed: China’s Operating Manuals For Mass Internment And Arrest By Algorithm

Leaked classified official documents reveal the operations of mass detention camps, the system of mass surveillance, and official rationales.

Austin Ramzy and Chris Buckley, The New York Times, 16 November 2019

Absolutely No Mercy: Leaked Files Expose How China Organized Mass Detentions of Muslims

The trove of documents released via the New York Times includes guides to local officials, questions and answers for students, and other official rationalizations of the “training schools” that are widely understood to be internment camps.