On February 22, 2020, the Information Office of the People's Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region held the 4th press conference on Xinjiang-related issues. The press conference invited Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR Elijan Anayit, Deputy Director of Public Security Department of XUAR Yalkun Yakufu, Secretary General of CPC Hotan Prefecture Committee Zou Yiwei, Magistrate of Moyu County of Hotan Prefecture Mahmut Omerjan, resident of Bostan Sub-district of Moyu County Haibier Maihesuti and ex-trainee of Bostan Subdistrict of Moyu County Maimaiti Younusi, to give a briefing and answer questions from the press.

Moderator: Dear friends from the press, good afternoon. Welcome to the 4th press conference on Xinjiang-related issues.

The invitees of today's press conference are Elijan Anayit, Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR; Yalkun Yakufu, Deputy Director of Public Security Department of XUAR; Zou Yiwei, Secretary General of CPC Hotan Prefecture Committee; Mahmut Omerjan, Magistrate of Moyu County of Hotan Prefecture; Haibier Maihesuti, resident of Bostan Sub-district of Moyu County; and Maimaiti Younusi, ex-trainee of Bostan Sub-district of Moyu County. They will answer questions from you.

Our friends from the press, please raise your hands before asking questions, please introduce the name of the news press you are in.

Q: Reporter from Xinhua News Agency: On February 17, Adrian Zenz, a German, published a long research report, which dissected the alleged "Internment Drive in Xinjiang" based on the "Karakax List" he had. What's your comment on this?

Moderator: This question goes to Mahmut Omerjan, Magistrate of Moyu County of Hotan Prefecture.

A: This German national Adrian Zenz, has a Chinese name called Zheng Guoen. Relying on a name list of "students sent to re-education (who are) family members of those who went abroad and have not returned to Karakax (Chinese name: Moyu) County" fabricated under collusion of "East Turkistan" forces in and outside China, he concocted the research report The Karakax List: Dissecting the Anatomy of Beijing's Internment Drive. The report is completely scrambled together with subjective assumptions, which was cobbled together out of wishful conjecture, and thus cannot stand scrutiny, as it does not conform with the facts.

He alleged that the 311 people in the list are from Moyu County, Hotan Prefecture of Xinjiang, all had overseas relations and were detained at vocational education and training centers due to various reasons. After careful investigation, it is found that the absolute majority of the 311 persons on the "Karakax List" are residents of Bostan Sub-district of Moyu County. They have been working and living normally in the community all the time and never attended the vocational education and training programs, except a very few people who had been affected by religious extremism and committed minor offences once joined vocational education and training according to law. Among the 311 people, only 19 have overseas relations, never received vocational education and training though. Upon knowing Zenz's despicable deed of using their identities for rumor-mongering and slandering, the people on the list expressed great indignation and have successively come forward to expose his rumors. Today, we have invited the residents of Bostan Sub-district to talk about their opinions.Haibier Maihesuti, would you share your opinion with us, please?

Haibier Maihesuti: My name is Haibier Maihesuti, 31 years old, and I have been living in Mingzhu Community of Bostan Sub-district of Moyu County. There are four members in my family: my wife is a teacher; two kids are in the kindergarten; my father lives abroad, and we make phone calls. My mother and I run a restaurant. We live a happy life, and never studied in vocational education and training center. I've heard that some bad guys are using our information to cheat people around, so I am here to tell you the truth to keep them from getting what they want.

Maimaiti Younusi, would you share your opinion with us please.

Maimaiti Younusi: My name is Maimaiti Younusi, 44 years old, and I am a resident of Mingzhu Community of Bostan Sub-district of Moyu County. All my relatives live in Moyu County; none of them lives abroad. My mind used to be stuffed with religious extremist thoughts. I didn't go out to make money myself, but also I didn't even allow my wife to go out to work because I believed it was not Muslim practice for women to earn money. Through vocational education and training, I studied Chinese national common language, law and the knowledge of business operation and management, and the religious extremist thoughts in my mind was gone. After completion of my study in the vocational education and training center, I opened a building materials store and can earn more than 5,000 yuan a month. My family are very happy and we live a happy life.

Finally, I would like to use this opportunity to let you see Adrian Zenz's true features and expose the purpose of his "research." This man who always creates false stories is actually a backbone of the "Xinjiang's Internment Camps Research Group" manipulated and established by American intelligence institutions. In the name of a so-called expert, he has been ceaselessly publishing baseless fabricated remarks, intending to cooperate with anti-China forces in smearing Xinjiang in the name of academic research. As pointed out in a report by an American independent journalism website The Grayzone, relying on speculation and a questionable media report, "Zenz extrapolates an extremely broad estimate" that Xinjiang has detained over one million people in its "re-education camps" despite that he himself also "admitted that 'there is no certainty' to his estimate," and "these incendiary claims have vaulted Zenz to the status of international 'expert' on Xinjiang, earned him invites to testify before US Congress." At the same time, the Grayzone report pointed out that there are many obvious loopholes in Zenz's research, such as unpersuasive data based on "absurdly small sample of research subjects," lack of fundamental basis resulted from cobbling, and one-sided citation of relevant remarks. Now he uses his old tricks again, divorcing himself from reality and cooking up stories based on a wilfully fabricated list. I believe the purpose of his research is to concoct "evidence," create new hot spots and stir up old topics for American anti-China forces to attack and slander Xinjiang, so that he can use the report to wag his tail and flatter his American master, and raise his price to defraud more research funds. It is hoped that you can sharpen your vigilance and not be fooled by this "pundit on Xinjiang" with sinister motives.

Q: Reporter from China Daily: After the report was released, foreign media outlets including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Deutsche Welle, seemingly in organized and premeditated way, invoked the report by Adrian Zenz, hyping the "Karakax List" and Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization measures. What's your comment on it?

Moderator: This question goes to Zou Yiwei, Magistrate of Moyu County of Hotan Prefecture.

A: We have noticed that after the release of the so-called Karakax List: Dissecting the Anatomy of Beijing's Interment Drive in Xinjiang, over a dozen overseas media outlets including CNN, BBC, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Deutsche Welle chose to listen and believe to one side of the story without verifying it through investigation by invoking Adrian Zenz's so-called "research results," making irresponsible remarks and speaking rumors about Xinjiang's counter-terrorism and deradicalization. Some media make stories out of it by labeling it "exclusive"; some cash in on this opportunity to smear Xinjiang by adding fuel to the flames and making noises. In December last year, these media were muted and turned blind together after two documentaries were broadcasted. However, they show so much interest in Adrian Zenz's fallacies, making voices collectively. We'd like to question these media which brand themselves objective and fair, where are their professional ethics and conscience?!

It is a good question. I am perplexed why that many foreign media seemingly had scheduled to make reports on this socalled list all together? Based on my knowledge, the faked list was hyped by "East Turkistan" forces as early as the end of last year, but nobody heeded and believed it. Now, repackaged and regrouped by anti-China scholars with so-called data analysis, information matching, correlation judgements, the report added many absurd conclusions to it. As soon as it was released, some foreign media, which were voiceless about the said two documentaries, flocked to report on it, stirring up trouble and speaking in its favor. Where are their judgement and what are their motivations for doing so? How long their show about Xinjiang will last? The entire report wrongly alleged Xinjiang is carrying out an interment campaign. Such allegations, as I understand, are a gross campaign by some with ulterior motives to destabilize Xinjiang.

I emphasize here the favorable situation of stability and development hasn't come easy, and people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang treasure it dearly. We hope the real situation in Xinjiang can be presented to the world though media, telling the world a true and comprehensive Xinjiang. Meanwhile, I need to point out with all seriousness some Western media and journalists habitually harbor prejudice against Xinjiang and view it through tainted glasses, being selective in reporting Xinjiang. They have lost their bottom lines and professional ethics, and have seriously damaged the image of themselves and the media they represent.

Q: Reporter from Xinjiang Radio and Television Station: Diagrams and tables in the report alleged that 25.3% people in the interment can be explained by their religious belief related reasons. It also alleged that some natural and peaceful expressions of their religious beliefs are subject to surveillance, whose purpose is to "control religion." What comments would you like to make on that?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit, Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR.

A: Xinjiang fights terrorism and extremism in accordance with the law, which doesn't target any locality, religion or ethnicity. Counterterrorism Law of the People's Republic of China prescribes to respect people's freedom of religious belief and their ethnic customs, forbids discrimination on the basis of locality, ethnicity and religion, opposes violation of people's basic rights in counterterrorism and deradicalization.

In Xinjiang, we fully implement the national policies on freedom of religious belief. Religious believers and nonbelievers enjoy equal political, economic, social and cultural rights. No citizen is discriminated or mistreated due to his or her religious belief or with no religious belief. All religious activities including prayers, fasting, celebrating religious festivals either performed in religious venues or at home according to religious habits are all up to religious groups or the person himself or herself to decide and are protected by law; no organization or individual is allowed to intervene. There has never been surveillance on believers going to mosque, frequency of their mosque visits, and fasting in Ramadan, alleged by Adrian Zenz, let alone the so-called to "control religion."

On the contrary, Islam is developed and carried forward healthily in Xinjiang, with over 20,000 mosques, 29,000 religious personnel, and 103 Islamic associations at various levels. Xinjiang has ten Islamic institutions (the Xinjiang Islamic Institute in Urumqi and its eight branch schools across the region including Kashgar, Hotan, Yili, and another Islamic school), which can accommodate over 3,000 students, with annual enrollments covering undergraduates to junior college students. At present, 1,000 strong students are on campus.

Q: Reporter from China News Service: In the report, it said that some people were sent to detention in Xinjiang because of overseas travel, contacting people overseas, having sold their properties and left or even browsing foreign websites. What are the true situations there?

Moderator: This question goes to Yalkun Yakufu, Deputy Director of Public Security Department of XUAR.

A: Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization measures have been carried out in accordance with law. All cases are handled on the basis of facts and law, and judged by its true nature under the principles of presumption of innocence, evidentiary adjudication and legal prescribed punishment.

Some ill-intentioned people in the West, like Adrian Zenz, have made disguised replacement of concepts between normal deeds and illegal criminal acts so as to attack Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization measures. Take the overseas travel issue discussed by Adrian Zenz in his report for example. On the surface, these people went abroad for tourism; however, after lawful investigation, it was found out that some people joined terrorism and extremist organizations after leaving China, and then returned to Xinjiang planning to commit terrorist attacks. Another example is about contacting people overseas. It seems like these are normal international calls, but after investigation, it turned out that some people were contacting foreign extremists and terrorists to plot terrorist attacks. As for the so-called reason of having sold their properties and left, it seems that these people just changed their places of living, but investigations had shown that some of them actually intended to go for "Jihadi migration" and to join IS by illegally crossing the borders. And for the issue of browsing foreign websites, while surfing on line, some people in fact watched and downloaded violent audio files and videos and spread and advocated them afterwards. For those who travel abroad or connect with people outside of China and who sell their properties and leave Xinjiang for normal purposes, and who surf foreign websites for lawful contents, there will be no restrictions and counter measures at all; on the contrary, their legal rights will be protected by law. But for those who conduct criminal deeds and involve with terrorism and extremism attempts using above-mentioned activities as their covers, no doubt, measures will be taken by related authorities in accordance with law.

As for such people as the spiteful Adrian Zenz, who either pretends to be confused or simply deceives himself, actually aims to voice grievance or absolve those terrorists and extremists of their legal responsibilities. How could his so-called research result be reliable and trustworthy? It is despicable indeed.

Q: Reporter from Xinjiang Daily: The report alleged analysis indicated Xinjiang carried out an unprecedented large-scale internment, and called Xinjiang's vocational education and training program "interment." Would you please make a comment about it?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit, Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR.

A: It seems Adrian Zenz and some other Western people haven't figured out what is vocational education and training and what is internment. Some even tend to tangle them up by blurring the line between the two concepts, labeling Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers as "internment camps," and the trainees as "internees," and the vocational education and training as "reeducation in internment." However, internment has nothing to do with vocational education and training. First, they differ in nature. Internment is freedom-limiting, temporary and compulsory measures taken by judiciary organs including those of public security on criminals caught red-handed or major suspects identified in investigation of criminal cases. While vocational education and training programs adopted by Xinjiang are measures designed to educate and save the trainees who had fallen into the influence of radical religious thoughts through learning the law, the national common language and hands-on skills, and deradicalization. Second, they differ in terms of venue. Places for internment are called detention houses or detention centers. While places for vocational education and training are called vocational education and training centers, which are schools for deradicalization purpose. Third, they differ in terms of rights they enjoy. Personal freedom of law-breaking suspects in detention is restricted for a certain period of time. While personal freedom of the trainees receiving vocational education and training was protected by law all the time. Fourth, they differ in terms of results. Crime suspects in detention are subject to the punishment of law if the crime he or she committed is validated through investigation and trial in due legal process. While the trainees would all graduate for a new life right after passing the exams of language, law and occupational skills and their extremist thoughts being eliminated. That explains the vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang are not detention centers or internment camps at all.

Q: Reporter from Global Times: The report claims that based on the principles of presumed crimes or associated with crimes, Xinjiang has sent a large number of "risk" people to vocational education and training centers. What are the facts? What kind of people received the vocational education and training at the centers?

Moderator: This question goes to Zou Yiwei, Secretary General of CPC Hotan Prefecture Committee.

A: This is just another extremely ridiculous claim. I think the alleged principles of presumed crimes or associated with crimes actually seem to fit more with Adrian Zenz's contemptible behaviors which are ill-intended and preconceived. Aren't these principles his habitual tricks in throwing mud at Xinjiang? For instance, in order to reach his conclusion that "an interment drive was implemented in Xinjiang" in his report, he intentionally "associated" measures taken in Xinjiang with vocational education and training centers, pieced together false hearsay-laced information and explored everywhere, and gave the rein to his "imagination" and fabricated the sloppy lies. He "presumed" that Xinjiang's normal recruitment to supplement the civil police team, construction of community police stations to serve the people and surveillance cameras for traffic management and social security as "the first move in order to prevent any possibility of public unrest resulting from the mass internments." He presumed that Xinjiang's Fang Hui Ju campaign (to visit, benefit and unite people at the primary levels), in which civil servants are dispatched to grass-root communities to do good deeds and offer practical help to all ethnic groups, as "the backbone of the concurrent re-education drive" to evaluate those who need to receive transformation through education. He even presumed the boarding schools and preschool education that Xinjiang has implemented to protect the children's right to education as the last line of security for "the internment drive," which allegedly detained hundreds of thousands of parents. He took the graduated trainees' hard work to earn a good life as "supporting measures" of "the internment drive in Xinjiang," claiming that the government put them in "forced labor." These illogical, flimsy, incendiary and ill-intended arguments full of speculations confuse right and wrong and come out of thin air.

As to the question on what kind of people needed to receive vocational education and training according to law, we have actually answered on many occasions. Today, I would like to reiterate that Xinjiang's counterterrorism and deradicalization efforts have always been based on facts in line with laws and complete judicial procedures. Those who received vocational education and training fell into three categories:

1. People who were incited, coerced or induced into participating in terrorist or extremist activities, or people who participated in terrorist or extremist activities in circumstances that were not serious enough to constitute a crime;

2. People who were incited, coerced or induced into participating in terrorist or extremist activities, or people who participated in terrorist or extremist activities that posed a real danger but did not cause actual harm, whose subjective culpability was not deep, who acknowledged their offences and were contrite about their past actions and thus do not need to be sentenced to or can be exempted from legal punishment, and who have demonstrated the willingness to receive training;

3. People who were convicted and received prison sentence for terrorist or extremist crimes and after serving their sentences, have been assessed as still posing a potential threat to society, and who have been ordered by people's courts in accordance with the law to receive further education at the centers.

It is fair to say that the only standard for deciding who should receive education and rehabilitation at the centers was that whether the person had committed terrorist or extremist offences or crimes, or posed danger to society, regardless of his or her religion, let alone anything to do with whether the person posed risk or not.

Q: Reporter from Tianshannet: The report alleged Xinjiang put restraints on ethnic minorities in carrying on their languages, cultures, customs and clothing, and Uygurs are never trusted and accepted as equals. What's your response to it?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit, Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR.

A: United as one like the seeds of a pomegranate, people of all ethnic groups are members of the Chinese nation. Any attempt to sow discord among our ethnic groups is bound to fail.

Xinjiang earnestly implements the Constitution and the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy of the People's Republic of China, improves the System on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, and upholds that all ethnic groups are equal and protects their fundamental rights. First, fully protect ethnic minorities to enjoy equal civil and political rights. Members of all ethnic groups are entitled to the right to vote and to be voted. At present, there are 42,997 elected deputies of ethnic minorities at all levels of people's congresses in Xinjiang, accounting for 69.8% of the total number of deputies. Deputies from ethnic minorities make up 60.7% of Xinjiang's overall deputies to the 13th National People's Congress. Second, spare no effort cultivating ethnic minority officials and giving full play to their talent and expertise, through training, growing them at grassroots positions, working in other localities through exchange programs, working on different positions, and intensify efforts in building a contingent of ethnic minority cadres. Over the years, we have brought up a large number of high quality ethnic minority cadres. By the end of 2018, there were a total of 427,000 cadres from ethnic minorities, contributing to Xinjiang's economic and social development. Third, every ethnic group is protected by law to use and develop their ethnic language. Six ethnic languages including Uygur, Chinese, Kazakh, Kirghiz and Xibe are used in school teaching at all levels and in any kind. And ethnic minority languages are extensively used in judicature, administration, education, press and publishing, radio and television, Internet and daily life. Forth, we protect and carry forward the fine traditional cultures of all ethnic groups according to law. Cultures of ethnic minorities are respected and protected. Great efforts have been made to collect, protect and compile ancient books of every ethnic group, including the translation and publication into Chinese and Uygur languages of Kutadgu Bilig (Wisdom of Fortune and Joy), the compilation and publication of Mongolian epic Jangar and a number of works of folk literature. Furthermore, Xinjiang had established three state-level demonstration bases that produce Uygur musical instruments, carpets and Etles silk for the preservation of these intangible cultural heritages. Fifth, fully respect customs of all ethnic groups. A slew of policies and regulations have been formulated to guarantee respect for folkways among all ethnic groups in clothing, wedding and funeral practices, festivals and celebration practices, and their etiquette. Efforts have been made to standardize halal food production and sales to better meet people's demand.

The so-called arguments in the report that "Xinjiang put constraints on the languages, cultures, folkways and clothing of ethnic minorities" are full of bias and go to extreme. I'd like to ask Adrian Zenz: More and more foreigners are learning Chinese, English and languages of other countries, have they forgotten their own languages? He is advised to go onto a Chinese social media "TikTok," seeing for himself the large number of ethnic minorities in Xinjiang using their mother tongues recording their day-to-day life, showcasing their cultures, clothing and folkways. If he has interest in pop culture, then he'd better turn some of his attention to the current arts and literary life in China. Gulmina, champion of "So You Think You can Dance," Parhat, runner-up of "Sing! China," and Tong Liya, a famed actress are all outstanding representatives of ethnic minorities from Xinjiang. They have demonstrated, through their dance, voice and acting, the dynamic ethnic minority cultures in Xinjiang that flourish in the modern society.

Q: Reporter from China Global Television Network (CGTN): We have noticed that "East Turkistan" forces overseas have been spreading misinformation, such as "Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers are at risk of the COVID-19 infection," "Xinjiang conceals the truth of the epidemic." How has Xinjiang's prevention and control been going over the epidemic? And what is your response to these accusations?

Moderator: This question goes to Elijan Anayit, Spokesperson of the Information Office of the People's Government of XUAR.

A: Since the outbreak of the virus, Xinjiang has been firmly implementing the decisions and deployments on epidemic prevention and control issued by the CPC Central Committee, and putting people's safety and health of all ethnic groups at the first place. As required by the general guidance: fight the virus with concerted efforts and rock-solid conviction through scientific prevention and control and targeted countermeasures, we have been taking resolute actions with firm confidence and a strong will to press ahead with virus prevention and control on all fronts. First is intensifying precise prevention and control. We strictly practise scientific and law-based mass prevention and control, preventing the virus from making inroads into Xinjiang and its spread within this region by stepping up surveillance, screening close contacts of confirmed patients. By doing so, people infected with the virus can be located and reported as early as possible before they are isolated and treated, thus defusing risks for further spread to the utmost extent. Second is doing a good job in scientific treatment. We follow a unified approach: patients are hospitalized for best possible treatment, which is person specific, at designated hospitals where medical experts and resources are assembled. In the treatment, traditional Chinese medicine (including Uygur medicine) is equally incorporated. Third is resolutely cutting off the spread of the virus. Public congregations and activities with underlying cross-infection risks have all been suspended; the management of public places like bus stations, airports and business establishments are beefed up; vehicles, trains, airplanes and other transportation facilities are well cleaned, sanitized and ventilated. Fourth is securing supplies. We try every means to ensure the supplies of protective gears, medicines, disinfectants and appliances, test kits and reagents, and other needed materials. We guarantee with all efforts the supply of vegetables, food items and other daily necessities as well as of water, electricity, oil and gas, and strengthen market supervision to keep prices stable to ensure people's life orderly and as normal. Fifth is disclosing information timely. We take a highly responsible and transparent attitude to disclose information about the outbreak on daily basis, and respond to social concerns and public opinion in a proactive manner. As of February 21, Xinjiang has registered 76 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, out of which two died and 24 have been cured. There are no new cases in Xinjiang for the fourth day in a row. No cases of the novel coronavirus have occurred in all prisons and detention centers in Xinjiang. With people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang united as one, we staunchly believe that, under the strong leadership of Communist Party of China, and with the great institutional strengths of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the support of the international community, Xinjiang will surely defeat the virus with the rest of the country.

We have noticed that "East Turkistan" forces overseas have been spreading frightening misinformation, such as "Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers face dissemination risks of the COVID-19," "Chinese government could use the novel coronavirus to wipe out the one million Muslims interned in the concentration camps," and "Xinjiang conceals the truth of the epidemic." Without questioning the authenticity of such fakeries, the US Senate Marco Rubio and some others have also made completely groundless remarks. These rumors are nothing but fabrications and slanders, which we are indignant about and resolutely opposed to. I would like to stress again that Xinjiang's vocational education and training centers are not the alleged "concentration camps" at all. Rather they are deradicalization institutions, which are schools in nature, established according to law when Xinjiang faced frequent incidents of violent terrorist activities. On December 9, 2019, governor Shohrat Zakir of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region announced at a press conference: "All the trainees have all graduated. And with the help of government, they have got stable jobs, improved living quality and are having a better life now." As all the trainees (learning the law, the national common language and hands-on skills, and going through deradicalization) had graduated, how could there have been large scale coronavirus infections? "East Turkistan" forces ignore the facts and are still making lies to cheat the world. It is utterly ridiculous.

Moderator: Today's press conference concludes now. Thanks, all the invitees and reporters.