A propaganda mural in Turpan, Xinjiang, taken in 2017. The slogan, written in Chinese and Uyghur, reads “All ethnic groups are family.” © Coda Story

Last week, the Chinese government released a report in an attempt to justify its ongoing treatment of China’s Uyghur Muslim minority. It’s the latest assault in a decades-long struggle by the Chinese government to re-establish the narrative of Xinjiang, its far north-west province, where currently up to 1.5 million Uyghurs are detained in concentration camps. 

Among its many claims, the 6,900-word white paper, published by the State Council Information office, says Islam was introduced to Uyghur culture by force. It has been criticized by scholars and Uyghur activists as an attempt to rewrite Uyghur history. 

We went through the white paper, entitled “Historical Matters Concerning Xinjiang”, chapter by chapter, to take a closer look at the reality behind some of its claims. 

First, a bit of context: the Uyghurs are an ethnic minority in China with Turkic roots. They have their own language, which shares similarities with Turkish and Uzbek, and uses the Arabic script. Uyghurs have their own music, dances, traditional clothing and customs which are distinct from Han Chinese traditions. And Uyghurs are a mostly Muslim ethnic group, following the teachings of the Quran and attending mosques.