Human Rights Watch has reported on a program which has gathered biometric data\u2014including fingerprints, iris scans, blood-type, and DNA\u2014on millions of residents in six regions in Xinjiang<\/strong><\/a> in 2017 under the guise of a free public health program providing physical examinations. HRW earlier this year voiced concern over a lack of privacy protections related to the planned expansion of DNA collection and indexing<\/a> targeting vulnerable populations in Xinjiang and other parts of China. Xinjiang<\/a>\u00a0is the frontline of a long-running and highly\u00a0controversial crackdown on terrorism<\/a>\u00a0that has been\u00a0criticized by human rights advocates<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0targeting members of the Uyghur ethnic minority<\/a>, and\u00a0exacerbating ethnic tensions<\/a>.<\/p>\n
For all \u201cfocus personnel<\/a>\u201d \u2013 those authorities consider threatening to regime stability \u2013 and their family members, their biometrics must be taken regardless of age. Authorities are gathering the biodata in different ways. DNA and blood types are being collected through a free annual physical exams program called Physicals for All. It is unclear if the participants of the physicals are informed of the authorities\u2019 intention to collect, store, or use sensitive DNA data.<\/p>\n
\u201cXinjiang authorities should rename their physical exams project \u2018Privacy Violations for All,\u2019 as informed consent and real choice does not seem to be part of these programs,\u201d said Sophie Richardson<\/a>, China director. \u201cThe mandatory databanking of a whole population\u2019s biodata, including DNA, is a gross violation of international human rights norms, and it\u2019s even more disturbing if it is done surreptitiously, under the guise of a free health care program.\u201d<\/p>\n
The biometric collection scheme is detailed in an official document called \u201cThe [Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous] Region Working Guidelines on the Accurate Registration and Verification of Population\u201d (\u5168\u533a\u4eba\u53e3\u7cbe\u51c6\u767b\u8bb0\u6838\u5b9e\u5de5\u4f5c\u6307\u5357, \u201cThe Population Registration Program\u201d), available in full on the government website<\/a> of Aksu city in Xinjiang (an unofficial translation is available below). […] [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Coverage of HRW’s report from Echo Huang at Quartz notes the lack of disclosure of the voluntary nature and particulars of the program reported by some Xinjiang residents who took part in it, and notes wider efforts<\/strong> <\/a>by authorities to collect personal information nationwide:<\/p>\n
The Physicals for All program stands out for the way it\u2019s been characterized as a free benefit for a poor region, and important to stable development<\/a> (link in Chinese). \u201cWhat\u2019s transmitted to the public via media and social media do not mention DNA collection in Physicals for All,\u201d wrote HRW researcher Maya Wang in an email to Quartz.<\/p>\n
[…]\u00a0Although Physicals for All is touted as a voluntary program<\/a> (link in Chinese), some residents told HRW that that wasn\u2019t the case. One Uighur said his neighborhood committee demanded participation, warning that any absence would be considered \u201cpolitical disloyalty.\u201d He added he had not received the results of his physical.<\/p>\n
In recent years, China has been stepping up efforts nationwide to collect personal information<\/a>\u2014including intimate relationships, delivery records, and biometric data\u2014from not only people it considers potential threats, but normal citizens as well. Government databases now include such data<\/a> on tens of millions of citizens, among them Uyghurs, migrant workers, and college students. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Following the criticism from HRW and subsequent English-language press coverage, state-affiliated tabloid Global Times covered official defenses of the program and castigations of the criticism<\/strong><\/a>:<\/p>\n
“Xinjiang has witnessed economic development and social stability, and the people there are living and working in a joyful mood, a scene that some people overseas might be unwilling to see,” Lu said. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Since 2014,\u00a0Xinjiang has been the \u201cfrontline\u201d<\/a>\u00a0of a\u00a0nationwide crackdown on terrorism<\/a>\u00a0in response to rising\u00a0incidents of violence in the region<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0elsewhere in China<\/a>. The crackdown in Xinjiang has seen\u00a0tightening security measures<\/a>, the\u00a0implementation of cutting-edge surveillance technology<\/a>, and the\u00a0mandatory installation of spyware on mobile phones<\/a>; and has also included\u00a0policies that appear to target\u00a0Uyghurs<\/a>\u00a0such as\u00a0selective religious fasting bans<\/a>,\u00a0local<\/a>\u00a0and region-wide\u00a0rules against\u00a0\u201cextremist behavior\u201d including face veils or long beards<\/a>, and a\u00a0ban on \u201cextreme\u201d Islamic baby names<\/a>. CDT Chinese editors recently drew attention to state media’s promotion of a primary school in Aksu, Xinjiang where Uyghur students were dressed in traditional Han dress as they recite Chinese classics<\/a> “in order to feel the powerful charm and profound nature of traditional Chinese culture.”<\/p>\n
After hosting the South-South Human Rights Forum the month<\/a>, \u00a0Xinhua released the full text of the “Beijing Declaration.”<\/a><\/strong> The declaration, which was signed by all representatives in attendance, devotes an article to religious minorities:<\/p>\n
States should, in accordance with their national laws and international obligations, focus on guaranteeing the human rights and fundamental freedoms of specific groups, including ethnic, national, racial, religious and linguistic groups and migrant workers, people with disabilities, indigenous people, refugees and displaced persons. States have an obligation to respect and protect religious minorities, and religious minorities have the same obligation to adapt to their local environment, and this includes the acceptance and observance of the Constitution and laws of their localities, as well as their integration into the local society. Everyone has the right to choose his or her own beliefs, including the choice of believing or not believing a religion, and the choice of believing one religion or another, without being discriminated. [Source<\/strong><\/a>]<\/p>\n
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