China’s Xinjiang tourism push criticised as region faces mass surveillance, detentions

Human rights advocacy group, Campaign for Uyghurs, has accused China of attempting to “whitewash” its policies in Xinjiang by heavily promoting tourism in the region, even as reports of mass detentions and surveillance continue.

In a post on X, Campaign for Uyghurs stated, “The CCP is pouring billions into repackaging the Uyghur homeland as a ‘Silk Road destination,’ drawing 300 million visitors in 2024 alone. But behind the scenic views and staged ‘folk performances’ lies a region under mass surveillance, where millions have been detained, families separated, and culture erased. Travelling to the Uyghur region today means walking through a landscape of silence created by the perpetrators of genocide”

The warning comes amid growing international scrutiny over Beijing’s treatment of Uyghu