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(Imprisoned Xinjiang) Former Teacher in Concentration Camp: I Am A Victim, Too

蘋果日報 2020/06/02 14:14


Concentration camps in Xinjiang is where CCP imprisons ethnic minorities for the so-called “re-education”. Many “teachers” responsible for “re-education” are, in fact, also ethnic minorities, and they are treated just like prisoners. Sairagul Sauytbay is the only person publicly admits to be a teacher in those camps so far. She was brought into a camp by authorities in the name of “teaching Mandarin”, and imprisoned for months to teach political brainwashing lessons. After escaping from Xinjiang last year, she is interviewed by Apple Daily journalists in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She testifies brutal actions by CCP, and accuses it for exterminating ethnic minorities. Over the past 70 years, authoritarian CCP regime builds up a totalitarian society with advanced technologies. Under its reign, she laments, no one has a choice. “I am a victim, too,” she says.
We met with Sairagul Sauytbay in May at the attorney office that applies refugee status for her. Due to oppositions from the previous representing attorney, she hadn’t talked about anything in concentration camps. After various discussions, she finally agreed to speak out in Kazakh language without showing her face.
The 43-year-old Sairagul Sauytbay was a Kazakh living in Chaosu County, Xinjiang. She was a medical professional in earlier years, and served as a kindergarten principal more lately. Her husband and children moved to Kazakhstan in 2016, but she stayed in Xinjiang as her passport was confiscated. Since she worked in government systems, she was a CCP member.
In November 2017, she got a call from authorities and was assigned a new task to teach Mandarin. As refusal was not an option, she accepted the order, but didn’t know she would be sent to concentration camps. “I had heard about those camps, but I thought they were teaching Mandarin and vocational training. We had no sources for the real information.”
She was astonished to see what happened in the camp. In cramped and unsanitary environment, more than 20 people slept on concrete floor in a 200-feet room, and used one bucket as toilet. These people were her “students”, ranging from 13 to 80 years old. In fact, these “students” were handcuffed and chained most of the time.
Even though as a teacher, Sairagul Sauytbay emphasized that she was also imprisoned in the camp. Except for a bed in the dorm, she lived in the same conditions. “We were monitored all the time without rights or freedom.” These teachers were forced to work without payment or income. “No one dared to ask how long we had to stay.”
She also witnessed how prison guards abused their power. People who made mistakes would be taken to a “dark room” for punishment. “They would not publish people in front of others. We didn’t know what happened inside, but we heard screams. Punishments were always arbitrary. People could be punished for literally anything, including talking in class. Many people lost their minds because of these punishments.” She also confirmed what other victims had said. All prisoners were forced to take shots. She was also told by a nurse she was familiar with that those shots would influence sexual abilities. “I believe CCP is trying to exterminate ethnic minorities.”
Besides speaking better Mandarin, her lawyer believed that Sairagul Sauytbay was chosen to be a teacher as a revenge for moving family to Kazakhstan. In March 2018, she was suddenly notified to leave the camp. However, authorities didn’t trust her. She was taken again for questions a few days later. They claimed she had “inappropriate thoughts” that required a year of re-education.
In merely days, she changed from a concentration camp teacher to a person requiring “re-education”. It showed how “re-education” claims were ill-founded, so she decided to escape one month later. Luckily, she arrived in Kazakhstan safely.
Ethnic minorities are targeted by CCP. Many police officers and prison guards in political campaigns are also ethnic minorities. As a former labor in concentration camps, Sairagul Sauytbay emphasizes that no one has rights in the authoritarian world. “No one has any rights to speak or do what they have in mind, period.” Even as CCP members or security officials, people can only follow orders, with no exceptions. “In this country, you may be imprisoned for saying one wrong word.”
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Once a kindergarten principal, Sairagul Sauytbay was taken to concentration camps as a teacher. She said she was a victim as well. “No one has a choice under the totalitarian regime.”
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Sairagul Sauytbay escapes from China to Kazakstan, but she is still followed and monitored by Kazakh government officials. She is constantly accompanied by her attorney for safety.
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Her passport was confiscated by Xinjiang authorities, forced to work in a concentration camp, and separated from her family for 2.5 years.