A top government official in China’s Xinjiang has given details of the sprawling internment camps for the Muslim Uyghur community in the remote western province for the first time, saying the “vocational training institutes” focus on teaching Chinese language, law and anti-extremism to the inmates.

The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) chairperson Shohrat Zakir’s interview to state media Xinhua is the latest attempt by China to counter mounting international criticism of the camps, the existence of which was denied by Beijing until weeks ago.

“Currently, Xinjiang has established a training model with professional vocational training institutions as the platform, learning the country’s common language, legal knowledge, vocational skills, along with de-extremisation education, as the main content, with achieving employment as the key direction,” the top official, the first to do so publicly, said.

It was only last week China sought to legalise the camps as “vocational training institutes”, where inmates influenced by religious extremism will be reeducated and transformed.

A United Nations human rights platform has been vocal in its criticism of the camps, saying it is targeting the minority community.

Zakir didn’t specify how many camps had been set or how many people have been put inside those camps. Rights groups have, however, estimated that hundreds of thousands have been sent to these camps for re-education.

Zakir didn’t talk about detention in the camps but explained how inmates could be selected for the “vocational training institutes” in carefully chosen words.

“As for most people who are influenced by terrorism and extremism, those suspected of minor criminal offences but do not have to be subject to penalties or can be exempted from criminal punishment, Xinjiang has provided them with free vocational training through vocational education institutions to improve their ability in commanding the country’s common language, acquiring legal knowledge and vocational skills, among others,” Zakir told the official news agency.

The top official said despite the significant progress that Xinjiang has made in countering terrorism and extremism is still a long-standing, complicated and serious issue and calls for high alert.

“In particular, the four prefectures in southern Xinjiang were threatened by terrorism and seriously influenced by the spread of religious extremism in the past,” he said.

Zakir’s interview was published on Tuesday, days after senior Communist Party of China (CPC) leader You Quan said “…sinicisation on religion must be upheld to promote ethnic solidarity and religious harmony” during a visit to the Xinjiang.

“The Party’s leadership over religious work must be upheld …the infiltration of religious extremism must be guarded against,” You was quoted by Xinhua as saying.

However, it’s apparently not all work and no play at the camps.

“The cafeteria prepares nutritious free diets, and the dormitories are fully equipped with radio, TV, air conditioning, bathroom and shower. Indoor and outdoor sports venues for basketball, volleyball and table tennis have been built, along with reading rooms, computer labs, film screening rooms, as well as performance venues such as small auditoriums and open-air stages,” Zakir told Xinhua.

According to Zakir, many inmates have said they didn’t know “life can be so colourful” after taking part in speech, dancing and singing contests.

First Published: Oct 16, 2018 15:56 IST